How Can I Love When I'm Afraid To Fall, Loki?
by NotAShipAnArmada
Summary: Natasha has finally healed from the damage Loki did to her mind and from her break-up with Clint. What will she do though when Loki escapes and comes for her, and her alone? How will she react when she finds out that she is in danger, and not necessarily from Loki. Mild in the start, except for some nudity. Will get more mature in later chapters.
1. Chapter 1

It had been almost a year since the incident with Loki and Natasha was happy. She had battled back the fears he had placed in her mind and her missions were always successful. Clint and her had tried to be together but it didn't end well. The memory flashed past, causing a stroke of guilt to tease the edge of her mind.

"Clint, how the hell could you even suggest that!" Natasha yelled, face stricken with grief and hate, an odd and very volatile mix. "I am not going to stop doing my job just because I got hurt on our last mission! That isn't even plausible!"

Clint was growing impatient, his own anger boiling up inside him even as he tried to keep it down. "Natasha, you got stabbed in the chest. _You could have died!_ I am not going to lose you just because I was too careless and irresponsible to look out for your safety! If you don't stop with the missions, I won't be able to protect you."

Ok, that one hurt. Natasha grit her teeth, hands clenched into fists around the long sleeves of her black sweater. The fight had broken out at their shared apartment so she was only dressed casually in said sweater and plain jeans. "You won't be able to protect me anyways. We're through! I am not dealing with your idiotic ideas any longer!" She grabbed her purse, throwing a few things in that were important. "I will call the movers tomorrow, they will pick my stuff up by Thursday, 3 days from now." Before Clint could even respond, she was gone, slamming the door behind her.

Natasha sighed softly and looked out the large windows of her living room. Well, Stark's living room. She had been forced to resort asking for help from Pepper and Tony who allowed her to stay on one of the guest floors, just until she got everything settled and found a new apartment. Pepper had offered to talk but she had refused. That was three weeks ago and everything seemed normal. Well, sort of normal. Outside, a huge thunderstorm was brewing, though no rain came down. It caused her to wonder if Thor was coming once again for a monthly visit or to give them updates on different things about Asgard.

Barely ten minutes later, those minutes being spent organizing some of the things she had brought to the tower, a loud thud would resound on the roof. Luckily she had her gear on still as she had come back from a mission barely an hour ago, therefore it was easy to go up to the roof, standing at the door as the God of Thunder strode forward, wearing a grim expression.

"Call a meeting with everyone." Is the only greeting she receives, a slim eyebrow being lifted at his mood. Thor was rarely angry or sad let alone furious, and furious he was. There were sparks practically crackling from Mjolnir and Thor's face was dark, actually dark, as if storm clouds did hover over him even in the building. A touch of the button on her earpiece and a quick murmured call for the meeting and minutes later, everyone was in one of the large conference rooms. Tony sat lounging in one of the chairs, Bruce beside him and fidgeting nervously. Thor was pacing the length of the room and Steve was leaning against the wall, watching the god with a concerned expression. Clint stayed to one corner, the exact opposite from Natasha, glares being passed between them often. After countless runs of pacing, Natasha finally stood up more and asked, "Thor, what is wrong? Has something happened on Asgard that we must know about?" He finally stopped, hand gripping Mjolnir even tighter before looking up, still wearing that grim expression.

"Loki has escaped from his cell and disappeared. We know not where and we have no way to find him either. My father, as well as I, fear he shall come back to Midgard. He may have new plans to destroy this realm, or at least you, my friends. You must stay on guard at all times." Now everyone looked uneasy, especially Clint, though Natasha would never admit to noticing that. Steve looked slightly confused though, a change of expression from everyone else's.

"Thor, you sound like you are not going to be here to help if he attacks." That got every single person's attention and Thor smiled grimly.

"You are correct, Captain. My father wishes for all Asgardians to be at the palace just in case. Loki could do anything or go anywhere. If he so choose, he could attack Asgard and my father wishes not to risk anything. He allowed me to warn you and we should all be thankful for this. I have faith in you all, should he attack and I will hopefully respond quickly. Farewell until then." Thor strode from the room and, moments later, a large crack would signal his departure. Everyone looked at each other before Tony finally spoke up with,

"Well, that just put a damper on my remodeling party. If anyone here actually cares, I'm going to go back to bed where I was so rudely dragged out of." Tony then proceeded to leave, very shortly followed by Banner. With a shake of his head, Clint leaves as well, leaving Steve and Natasha alone. Natasha looked more stressed out than usual now and Steve had easily picked up on it. He stood and walked to her side, gently placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Natasha, he will be found. You have no reason to worry." Steve had become one of her closest friends over time and he was the only one she ever told her nightmares to as well as what Loki said.

"I'm not worrying, I will be fine." She gently brushed his hand off and left, trying to relax her motions. It was doubtful he would even come to Earth again but you never know. He was crazy and he knew their strengths as well as weaknesses. He could manage to bring something stronger together this time. She shivered at the thought and went as quickly as she could to her temporary living area. As soon as she entered though, she could tell something was different. Wrong. Her eyes scanned the darkness, the only light piercing it for the moment was the light of the moon and it made the sensation grow. Her fingers scaled the wall before finding the light and flicking it on..

Nothing. Everything was in place and nobody was there. _Get a hold of yourself Natasha._ She thought, sighing and rubbing her temples lightly. She crossed the room to the curtains, pulling them closed and watching them flutter gently with the breeze of her open windows. "I really need sleep.." She mutters to herself, stretching before striding to her bathroom and patting cold water on to her flushed cheeks. When had that happened? "Stupid nightmares.." She mutters again, glaring at her reflection for a moment before relaxing. She picked up a brush and ran it through her curls, mentally reassuring herself everything was ok. She still had that weird feeling of being watched or that something was wrong though…

Once she was finished in the washroom, she walked into her bedroom, turning on the lamp beside her bed, closing the drapes and windows and turning on the fan instead. She tugged the zipper of her suit down before shedding it, taking a moment to let the cool air being moved by the fan to brush gently against her practically naked body, her bra and panties the only thing keeping her clothed. Once she felt content with her temperature, she moved to the small closet holding her clothes, taking out a pair of pyjama shorts and top. She undid her bra and threw it into the laundry, underwear following. She caught sight of her reflection in the mirror and smiled slightly, eyes raking over the smooth planes of her body, the pale unmarked skin save for the scar from the stabbing a month ago. She watched the swell of her breasts rise with each intake of breath, the muscles in her legs and ass contracting then relaxing with each weight change. She finally shook herself and got dressed, mentally rolling her eyes. Climbing into the bed, she pulled the covers over her body before turning the lights off, laying down and falling asleep within minutes.

Later on, close to around one in the morning, a cold breeze would run through the room, causing a shiver to run through the sleeping redhead, the covers being pulled closer. A tall, lithe figure watched her from the shadows, green eyes shining with delight and a slight curiosity. Loki stepped forward from the deeper shadows, seemingly appearing out of nowhere. He moved forward to her side, watching for but a moment before bending down and brushing a curl off her cheek. She smiled gently and Loki grinned, watching for one more moment before whispering in her ear, his words weaving a spell. "I must go for a drive in the mountains tomorrow to do some jogging." He repeated this three times over, sure that the spell had taken place and stayed within her mind. He walked back into the shadows, disappearing as easily as he had come.


	2. A Mysterious Situation

When Natasha woke the next morning, she had no idea of what events had passed during the night. All she knew was that she really wanted to go for a jog. Maybe in the mountains. Yes, that sounded like a very good idea. Humming to herself, she undresses and pulls on different shorts as well as a light tee, knowing it was a hot day out. Her whole routine went by quickly, having a shower, brushing her teeth and drying her hair before heading down to the kitchen Tony had in the building. Bruce and Tony were there already, stopping their conversation for a moment to give her a quizzical look. "What, never seen a woman before?" She quipped, moving to get a cup of coffee.

"More like never seen you in shorts and a t-shirt before." Bruce murmurs, Tony just gawking when she turned to get water from the sink for the machine. There was a light smack of annoyance, Bruce having smacked Tony so he didn't stare like a fool.

"Oh, yeah, sorry. You just never really wear anything but your suit around here. Now you are practically wearing booty shorts- OW!" Another smack from Bruce and Natasha smirks.

"What he means to say is why aren't you in your usual clothes?" Bruce was always so polite, that was one of the reasons she quite liked him, despite the whole hulk incident.

"I decided to go for a jog in the mountains. It is so nice out that it seems like such a waste to stay indoors." Tony, seeing that as the perfect opportunity, stood up and walked over with a grin.

"Why don't I join you then? I could use some fresh air." Another smack resounded through the kitchen, this time coming from Natasha's own hand. She didn't know why but his suggestion just really pissed her off.

"I'm going alone Stark, with nobody else. Got it?'' She grabbed her coffee and stormed out, completely forgetting about breakfast. Tony and Bruce exchanged looks, neither of them knowing what brought on that little emotional attack. She wouldn't allow them a chance to ask questions either, grabbing her sneakers, lacing them before going straight down to the garage below. She put her bag in back, having ID, a few snacks and water in there just in case. She didn't know how long she would be, which even she thought was odd. She shrugged it off though and climbed in the drivers seat, on the highway within minutes.

Loki, on the otherhand, was already in the mountains, waiting for her. He wasn't sure how he should do this, attack her then explain? Give her a chance to attack before subduing her? She was very hard to figure out. Loki sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, free hand resting on his knee. He had traveled a couple realms before coming here and so he was well rested, completely unlike that of someone who was on the run. Even as a refugee of sorts, he made sure to look nice. It was almost his signature.

Within the hour, Natasha would stop at an outcrop, parking alongside the metal barrier of the mountainside. "I should have thought of this weeks ago." She says to herself, smiling happily as she stretches her legs and does a few warm-ups. Fifteen minutes later, she was on her way, doing a steady jog along the practically deserted road. When she neared Loki's position, he appeared at the mountainside around the corner, leaning against it with his arms crossed. She rounded the bend, eyes flicking to you quickly before letting out a slight scream of surprise, backpeddaling and falling backwards. She never came in contact with the road though, long arms curled underneath her body, lifting her up until she was completely off the ground. Loki grinned down at her and she struggled, screaming and yelling out curses. She hadn't even thought to bring a weapon with her and so she was unarmed.

"Can you please stop struggling! I do not wish to drop you on the ground from this height!" Even Loki was having troubles holding on to the squirming, shrieking girl. When she didn't stop, he said a word of magic and her voice left her. Natasha's eyes widened and she struggled even more, pushing and shoving, even moving to bite his arm. That caused him to curse in what sounded like a different language, Natasha breaking free and sprinting down the road, trying to get as far as possible. Loki massaged the bite before glaring at her retreating form, finally breaking into a sprint. He easily caught up to her and tackled her to the ground, both Loki and Natasha suffering minor scrapes and cuts.

"Will you just stop it! I am unarmed, same as you!" That finally caught her attention. She stopped, Loki having pinned her wrists with his hands and the rest of her body with his. He was much to close and Natasha couldn't help but think in an especially intimate way. She could feel his breath brush past the skin of her ear and neck, his back lined up perfectly with hers which meant so were their hips. She froze completely, eyes wide and terrified. Was he going to kill her? Loki easily noticed the change in stature, the struggling had ceased but her entire body was tensed right up. "Now, I am going to give you your voice back, ok? Can you promise not to scream for but a moment?" All she did was glare and he sighed. "Fine. This just makes it harder though. I have not come to harm you, not you specifically at least." She kept glaring, not trusting his words in the least. He could tell and that irritated him to the fullest. Yes, he had done some bad things but that did not mean he was completely evil. He let his magic flow and her voice returned, the first thing coming out being,

"Damn it you asshole, let me go! I will kick your skinny ass if you don't get off, so help me god!" Loki just smirked, loving this side to her. That fire and ferocity. It was one of the reasons he wasn't going to kill her. Yet.

"Feisty today, aren't you my little spider?" She practically growled at the nickname, giving a jerk of her hips to try and roll over top of him. That failed obviously, in more ways than one. Loki bit back on a wisp of lust darting through his mind and he gripped her wrists tighter until she grit her teeth. "We can't be in the open, so it seems I will have to take you somewhere.." Loki yanked her up to her feet, locking her hands painfully behind her back. The world seemed to swirl around them for a moment before settling, the dark, damp look of a cave appearing around the both of them. Loki let her go and Natasha streaked for the bright opening of the cave, stopping just in time before she fell over the edge and into the abyss. Below were only sharp, jagged rocks and forest, nothing else. Not even a road. Her heart thundered in her chest, eyes darting from the ground to the edge then back to Loki.

Loki really didn't want to do this but she was giving him no choice. He watched as she stopped at the edge, waiting with his arms crossed. She seemed to be contemplating something, though he doubted she would jump and kill herself. After a moment, she backed away with a sigh, wrapping her arms around her body and sitting down, back to Loki. He waited only one more moment before walking over and standing behind her. "Perhaps now you will listen?" There was no response, only her straight forward stare and a slight shaking of her body. With a sigh of exasperation, he sat down, legs crossed and hands in his lap.

"Natasha, that is your name correct?" She blinked slightly at hearing her name, that being enough of a sign for him to continue. "Well, Natasha, I am not going to harm you. Quite the opposite in fact. I need your help." That got him a look, mainly a death glare but also slight curiosity. She kept staring, never saying a word, which he took as a go ahead. "As you know, I escaped from Asgard. What you do not know, is that I traveled to many worlds after my escape. In those miniscule travels, I happened upon Muspelheim, a land of fire and havoc. The beasts there are frightening, even for us from Asgard, their warriors even stronger. They used to be a peaceful people but that has changed. They are coming to Midguard, they wish to destroy it, or at least take it over." That finally caused a gasp from Natasha, eyes wider and almost frantic.

"I need to tell the others.." She muttered, eyes cast over the trees and rocks below. Loki grabbed her shoulders, shaking his head.

"You cannot! Were you to say it right out, they would know I am here and that would not be good for either of us." Loki's green eyes had locked on Natasha's blue. Natasha's were wide in a frightened way. Though, after a moment of not speaking, they softened slightly. She knew all about Loki being an excellent liar, but he just didn't seem like he was lying now… Loki's eyes on the other hand, showed desperation and what looked like truth. As her's softened, so did his and on instinct, started to lean forward..

Natasha would pull away at that, shaking her head with confusion and looking out over the trees. "What am I supposed to do then?" She couldn't even believe she was asking for his advice, but he was the one telling her about this attack. Why her though? Why not one of the others, or even Thor?

"Take me to your home, where you reside. Keep me there and I shall instruct you. While there, I promise to not leave unless I must and I shall cause no havoc." Natasha seemed to be considering it and Loki's heart did a little flip. Would she actually trust him, after so many decided not to, especially after what he did?

"My home is at Stark Towers right now… You will need to keep shielded or something when you are there…" She sighed and ran her fingers through her curls, cursing herself mentally. _What am I doing…._ She thought to herself. She would have never considered this a few weeks ago, why now?

"That will be quite easy for myself. But were I to be found out, you must promise to come with me to another residence that I will get lined up. Promise me, Natasha." She was surprised by the gentleness of his voice, as if he were soothing a child after a nightmare. It was oddly calming and, before she could stop herself, she had agreed.

"Fine. But you must take me back to my car so I can drive back. You will meet me in the parking garage where I shall sneak you to my floor. Stark convinced Thor to bring a mage down who cast magic protection spells on the room so you cannot appear there." She stood, hands placed on her hips and wearing a determined expression. Loki rose with her, standing about a foot taller and nodding.

"I shall do as you request." He says simply before taking Natasha's arm and the world swirled around them both again. When Natasha opened her eyes, she would be back beside her car, completely alone. One glance gave her confirmation on being the only one around, shaking her head slightly.

"What are you doing Natasha…" She murmurs before climbing in and driving back. As she drove, she tried to think up scenarios for why he would not want the Earth destroyed. Perhaps it was because he wished to do it himself. Settling on that conclusion, she pulled into the garage beneath the tower.

Natasha was wrong though, as she might find out. When he left Natasha, he actually slipped a metal seal of protection into her shorts pocket, having some sort of confidence in her safety. Loki, not realizing it until about 6 months into his sentence, had actually fallen for the girl. He feared for her safety in the war that would soon fall upon the earth. He was hoping to gain her trust, take her away with him, keep her safe. Nobody was allowed to know this though..

Natasha had barely parked before the god appeared out of the shadows, still unarmed, though she didn't doubt he couldn't summon weapons on command. "Make sure to keep your head down and stay behind me. It will at least give us some sort of cover while going through." Mentally slapping herself, she lead Loki to the stairwell which would take them to ground floor where they would head to the elevators and go straight up. Loki nodded and off they went. It was simpler than either of them thought, especially since the building looked to be deserted at the moment. They arrived at the room without incident and Natasha threw her bag in her room.

"You will sleep on the couch, you shall not touch my stuff nor fiddle with any of my electronics. I will show you how to work the t.v. and computer, as well as scrounge up some sort of books for you. Should keep you entertained while I am gone." Loki seemed quite impressed, even with the size of the small flat and everything that adorned it, even the fresh roses.

"Thank you, Natasha. Just doing this shall help immensely." He took her hand in one swift motion, kissing the back gently before straightening up at a resounding knock on the door, much harder than the others.

"Lady Natasha, I wish to speak with you!" And all Natasha, as well as Loki it seemed, could think was,

_Oh shit.._


	3. That Constant Nightmare

"Get in the closet!" Natasha hissed, giving him a shove towards her bedroom. He gave her an aghast look, glancing towards the closet then back, getting an indignant expression Natasha knew all too well. "If you don't get in that closet, I will break our little deal and hand you over to Thor. Now, Get. In. There." She gave him three hard shoves before he reluctantly went inside and shut the door, Thor pounding on the door once again. "Coming!" She yelled, making sure there was nothing to expose him before opening the door, giving Thor a wide smile. He strode right in, looking around curiously.

"I heard you speaking with another. Or was that the contraption your man of iron calls a television." He gives it a suspicious glare, obviously unsure of that particular electronic.

"Actually, I was on my cell phone for a minute!" She gave him that lovely but disconcerting smile, face still a bit flushed from what happened on the mountain.

"Are you sick, Natasha? You blush like our virgin maidens." That earned him a glare and he instantly backed down, giving a nervous smile. "Yes, well, it was good to see you… I shall be inspecting that what your friends call a treadmill!" He retreated, wary of the glare she was still giving him. She shut the door before walking to the closet, opening the door and watching Loki stumble out, glaring at the inside.

"That was hardly fitting for a god. I would have much rathered just stayed in the washroom or something. Not a simple closet." He sniffs with distaste before looking to her. "My brother bothered you with that last comment of his, the stupid oaf." Natasha raised a brow and crossed her arms, still not exactly happy with what just happened.

"Yes, and should another certain god try and compare me to "A blushing virgin", he will find himself back out on the street." Loki gave a sharp nod, unable to hide a slight smile. He wanted to say it so badly…. Oh what the heck.

"You admit then that you are not a virgin?" He ducks and jumps back, grinning widely as Natasha fumes and races after him.

"Damn you, liesmith! Come back here so I can hit you!" He just laughs and races to the otherside of the flat, watching Natasha try and figure out her best line of attack. This went on for a few minutes, Loki jumping away from her attacks and Natasha growing more and more playful. Finally, she settled for tackling him back against the couch, nailing a solid punch to his stomach and laughing at the practically winded god. After a moment though, she realized that she was straddling him and made to get up, blushing slightly and eyes wide. He grabbed her wrist though, keeping her there with a sly smile. His hand dipped into her back pocket, Natasha starting to protest before looking at the shiny object in his hand. "What is that?"

Loki just smiled and removed a single emerald green thread from his sleeve, snapping it and tying it through the metal hoop part, slipping it around her neck. "It is a pendant of protection on Asgard. I put it in your pocket back on the mountain without your knowing. Now you know where it is and what it is used for. Keep it close." Natasha just stared for a moment, lifting the necklace to look at the beautiful silver object before her eyes darted back to Loki.

There it was again, that weird softness that was present back on the mountain. Natasha cleared her throat uncomfortably, moving off of Loki's stomach where she had been sitting, standing up fully. "Yes, well, thank you Loki. It is appreciated. Now, if you do not mind, I must go and change out of these clothes." Loki couldn't help the smirk that crossed his features at that and Natasha gave him another slightly harder punch. He groaned and she sauntered into her room, grinning happily. It only took her a moment to change, coming out wearing an oddly feminine white dress which hugged her body but flared out at the bottom. Loki tore his gaze away, trying to look out at the city from his place at the window.

Natasha really didn't notice, just moving to the little kitchen that came with the suite. It was nice when she wanted solitude. "Do you want me to make something? I'm an ok cook, won't poison you. Hopefully." She chuckled softly, finding it easy to make little jokes like that around him already. Interesting..

Loki finally looked back to her, unable to keep from smiling. _She looks gorgeous…. Wait, no, stop that. This is your enemy you idiot. _Loki scolded himself mentally, walking over and leaning against the counter, shrugging slightly. "If you wish to, that would be nice. I myself don't eat much though, simply a bowl of fruit or small piece of meat. Such is my nature and I have never strayed from it." Natasha was surprised to say the least, having expected something a bit more…glamorous. He said he was a god after all.

"A bowl of fruit then.. Very healthy actually." She started taking different fruits from her fridge, a piece of watermelon, cantaloupe, grapes and strawberries. Loki was right by her side when the cantaloupe fell, smiling as he deftly caught it and stood up slowly right beside her.

"Want a little bit of help, Natasha?" Loki's voice had gone a shade deeper, causing her name to roll smoothly, darkly off his tongue. A visible shiver raced down her spine and she took a small step back.

"S-sure… Knives are in that drawer over there.." Had she imagined the change in his voice, the too close proximity of their bodies? Were her nightmares starting to affect her way of thinking now? She mentally shook herself again and moved to get 2 cutting boards, setting them on the counter, unable to keep from thinking, just for a moment, about when she straddled him on the couch..

Loki was quite delighted by the shiver he saw pass through her, smiling silkily at her as she turned around. He set the fruit on the counter before retrieving two knives, stopping when he turned around to look at the tensed muscles curving along Natasha's shoulders and back. _Woah…_

She felt his stare of course, and that caused her muscles to tense up. He set the knifes on the counter between them finally, gaze still burning holes in the back of her head. To keep herself distracted, she took some grapes and started slicing them in half, smooth and quick little motions, piling them into a large bowl. Loki started to work on the strawberries, gaze flicking to watch how her hands worked the knife smoothly, a few whisps of forbidden thoughts dancing across his mind. He sighed softly, setting the knife down and walking away, running a hand through his hair. That little action caused Natasha to stop, looking up curiously, raising a brow. "Something wrong Liesmith?" She called him by his nickname, hoping to use it to fend off her own bad thoughts. Very, very bad thoughts damn it. Loki winced a bit at the nickname, muscles tensed.

"No, I just need a moment. Excuse me." Within 6 long strides, he was in the washroom, door locked behind him. He noticed a tinge of pink on his cheeks and cursed softly. _He would not let some damn woman get to him, despite how incredibly smart and talented she was… Not to mention funny and good at quick thinking.. _That caused him to physically slap himself, setting his gaze hard and stern. When he walked out of the washroom, Natasha was still in the kitchen, humming softly to herself, a gentle song which soothed Loki instantly, despite what he had just tried to do.

"That is a lovely song.." He says gently, leaning against the counter and watching her once again. He noticed the soft smile which seemed to melt all of the coldness away, if for but a moment.

"Thank you.. It is something I picked up on one of my missions, a girl about 8 taught it to me and I have sung it or hummed it whenever I felt…nervous. Or just agitated in general." Why did she tell him that? Natasha had no clue, just settling with a natural reaction as she had been asked that question a lot. The fruit salad was finished moments later, a bowl set down in front of the contemplative god, a fork stabbed into the middle.

Loki took the bowl, smiling with amusement when she stabbed the fork in, standing straight and delicately plucking a grape off the fork with his lips. Everything he seemed to do was graceful or delicate, so long as he was not fighting someone. It was hard to make something from war look beautiful.

Natasha was captivated for the moment, watching as he plucked the grape off before turning to her own dinner with a gentle blush. She wove around his body and sat on the couch, curling her legs under her body so she was more comfortable. Barely a second later, she felt more than saw Loki sit beside her, the cushions being indented by his slight weight.

"Why do you not dress more like this?" Was the first thing she heard though, her startled eyes turning to look at the curious god. Curious was the perfect word, his body was angled right towards hers and his eyes roamed her body, though not in a "I'm checking you out" way. More like a "You look beautiful" way.

"You mean more feminine? Mostly because of my job and because I do not like to. Femininity can be used as a weapon against some girls, but not me. I'm too strong for that sort of nonsense." Loki smirked at her reply, never having expected less from the beautiful assassin in front of him.

"Well, I think you look beautiful this way. It suits you." He set his half finished bowl on the table, leaning back and crossing his legs contentedly. _God, he has seriously long legs._Was all Natasha could think, eyes roaming up to his waist before breaking away. Stupid female hormones. According to Tony, Natasha supposedly had no female hormones whatsoever, mainly based on how she said no to all of his regular advances. In fact, it was quite the opposite as she had many urges, even for Tony himself. She just had more sense to lay with any man who was willing. They only wanted her body and she understood this. It was not something she would tolerate.

She finished her bowl of fruit and set it in the sink, ignoring the gaze following her once again. Those green eyes were a hazard in themselves and she refused to look into them again. "I bid you goodnight Loki. Your sheets and pillow are on the chair over there, help yourself." He nodded, giving a gentle smile before she shut her door. The night there on was uneventful, both Loki and Natasha getting ready for bed and singularily crawling under their respected sheets.

_Green eyes and roaming hands. Slender and feministic fingers twining in black hair, lips colliding with lips. Who's ragged breathing was that, why was the room so hot? After a moment, Natasha realized it was her breathing and she was sweating. Her senses jumped into sharpness and she felt the roaming hands, her fingers gripping that dark hair again and she heard that low, dark, beautiful laugh again. Oh Loki…_

Natasha sat straight up in bed with a gasp, blinking her eyes quickly before glancing around the dark bedroom. Just a dream… She ran a hand across her forehead, finding sweat collected there. Disgusted with herself, she stood and went into her respective bathroom, drenching a cloth with cold water and patting her face as well as neck. The dry cloth that came next soaked up the cold water and sweat, making her feel a bit better. On her way out of the bathroom, she heard an odd sound, something like a whimper. Turning off the light with a frown, she listened closely. Yes, there it was again. She grasped the knob of her door, slowly opening it and looking out.

Loki was on the couch where he was supposed to be, but he was tossing and turning, the moonlight crossing his almost pained features. Natasha hesitated before walking out and creeping across to Loki's couch, kneeling beside him. "Loki.." She whispered, reaching out and giving his arm a gentle shake..

_Who was that screaming? It was annoying.. Loki walked along a dark path, looking around before coming upon a heart stopping sight. There was Thor and Loki, just as they had been just before Loki fell into the abyss. He bit back a pained gasp as things switched around, Thor pulling him up to the edge and whispering, though it seemed like a yell to Loki. You are worthless, a nothing. Why do we even need you if people have me.. Thor then shoved him over the edge and Loki felt himself falling again, screaming….screaming…_

Loki's eyes flicked open sharply, instantly locking on the obviously worried redhead in front of him. She had been trying to shake him awake, he concluded, from the hand on his arm and relieved expression on her face. It changed back to worry though when his features became stricken and he suddenly pulled her close, hugging her tightly and burying his face in her neck.

Natasha was surprised to say the least when he pulled her close, letting out a yelp of surprise. She had only gotten a glimpse of the suddenly stricken look on his face before the crushing hug, awkwardly patting his back before smoothing his hair with one hand, the other gently rubbing his back. "Hey, it's ok.. Shhh.." She whispered, trying to calm him down. She had no clue what his nightmare was about, but it obviously had frightened him enough to turn to her for comfort. They were still enemies of course..

It had to be Natasha of course, the one person he wanted to seem strong for. He managed to keep back his tears, though just barely, especially when she held him and whispered comforting words. He gripped her like a lifeline, refusing to let go until the nightmare had faded, allowing him to calm down enough that she could pull away and look at him with those worried blue eyes of hers. He gave her a slight smile, one that she knew well. It was the one she gave her friends when they caught her thinking about something private or too frightening to speak of.

She nodded gently at his expression, not saying anything, just giving him that silent confirmation. She stood and went to the kitchen, warming a glass of milk before bringing it back to the startled god. She could be motherly when needed, and it really seemed like Loki needed it right now. The still shaken god took the milk, looking at her with wide, unguarded eyes. With his guards down, she could truly see the beauty in him. This caused another gentle smile to touch her lips, reaching out to smooth down his mussed hair, even as he drank the milk.

He set the glass aside, leaning into her touch for a moment, liking how it felt. Thor was the usual person to come to him when he had a nightmare, always probing for answers and causing him to become more stressed. Natasha didn't though and he was thankful for that. When she started to pull away to go back to her room, he gently grabbed her hand, eyes wide and pleading. _Stay, please.._ He mentally asked and it was if she knew, slowly nodding and tugging him to his feet instead. She lead him to her bedroom, letting him crawl under the sheets before joining him, curled up with her back to him, barely a foot apart. Loki smiled into the darkness before rolling towards Natasha, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her close, nuzzling his face in her beautiful red curls, despite her shock.

Who knew that Loki liked to cuddle after nightmares.. Only Natasha knew, from experience it seemed. In that one moment, when she was content with having him there, a comfortable distance away, he had just pulled her close, snuggling into her like a child. She couldn't help the smile touching her lips in that moment, reaching down and lightly placing her hand over his before falling asleep, not even caring that her own nightmare had been about the god who was now curled up in bed with her..


	4. This Dangerous Balance

The first thing Natasha noticed when she slowly woke up was the warm body beneath her head. She kept her eyes closed, assuming what had happened was a dream, tightening her arms around the body she assumed was Clint's.

"Are you awake..?" Loki whispers, having been awake for almost an hour but not wanting to disturb the redhead curled right up to him. She was too adorable that way, with her curls splaying around her face, arms wrapped around his waist and head resting just below his chin. It may or may not have been a dream come true to the mischievous god.

Natasha instantly knew that the person she was cuddling was not Clint when he spoke. She practically jumped up and away, sitting right up and looking down at the slightly startled god. She had been cuddling Loki this entire time and she shook her head to clear her mind of all sleepiness. The nights events came rushing back and she calmed down, remembering now why she had taken Loki into her bed. The nightmares..

When Natasha jumped up, he had moved instantly to calm her but refrained from doing so. She was still partially asleep and didn't seem to quite understand why she was curled up to him. When he saw realization take place in her eyes and her muscles relax, he took that as a good sign and reached out, touching her shoulder. "Thank you Natasha.." He says quietly before climbing from the bed and going out to the living room.

"Y-yeah, you're welcome.." She muttered, rubbing her eyes slightly to make sure her vision was right. Yes, that was Loki. _Why was I cuddled up to him? _Was the only thing she could really think of at that moment. That and the way how he had looked when his eyes settled on her. The guards weren't up and she had gotten that wonderful glimpse of his innocent self, not the self who wanted to hide away from everybody. After contemplating that for a moment, she got up and went to take a long shower, trying to clear her head of everything. Surprisingly, she wasn't stressed though. She was oddly at peace, despite the odd awakening that had happened. When she stepped from the bathroom in a gush of steam, damp hair already curling about her flushed face and wearing only a towel, one can only imagine how she reacted when she saw Loki sitting on her bed again. His green eyes were wide and staring, that look only being cut off when she chucked a pillow at him. "Get out of my room! God, can't you knock!" He raced out and Natasha slammed the door shut, the flush on her cheeks from embarrassment, not heat now.

Well, that didn't go as expected. Loki had been planning on telling her to stay in bed, that he would cook or do something like that for her, but when she stepped out in just a towel, his silver tongue had almost literally turned to lead. The smack from the pillow brought him back, quickly retreating from the room. "Sorry! Very sorry!" He called back as she slammed the door shut, sighing and running his fingers through his hair. He went ahead with preparing breakfast though, as he hoped it would make up for the sight he had not meant to see. It might also help keep his mind off the stunning redhead locked in her room..

Natasha got dressed quickly, blow drying her hair and combing it out, trying to will the blush away which obviously wasn't working. She knew she would have to leave the room at some point that day so she pulled her black full body suit on, sighing softly. Whenever she put this suit on, she knew it was time for action, not relaxation. Taking a fully loaded gun from her drawer, she slips it in the holster before walking to the door and slipping out. The first smell that hits her would be melted butter and what smelt like bacon. Following the smell into the kitchen, she stopped at the sight before her. It seemed that Loki had taken it upon himself to cook breakfast. A rather large breakfast. There was the leftover fruit designed intricately on a plate, a pitcher of orange juice as well as water, a plate piled with about 8-10 pieces of toast, scrambled eggs which were still steaming in a bowl and now he was cooking enough bacon to feed the hulk. "L-loki, what are you doing?"

It seemed that so long as his magic was not harmful, it wasn't restricted. Loki, naturally, prepared breakfast using a bit of magic. It would have taken too long otherwise. When Natasha spoke up from behind, he turned and grinned, green eyes guarded once again despite what he was doing. "I wished to make recommpence for my accidental sight back in the bedroom. Take a plate and help yourself, I believe I made enough."

Natasha just gaped a bit before slowly nodding, taking a plate as he said and taking small portions of each. "You made enough to feed basically the entire team, let alone just two people…" She stood at the counter and started to eat, albeit a bit hesitantly. "I would have thought that a prince wouldn't have learned how to cook, especially not this well."

Loki chuckled and set the bowl of bacon on the counter as well, still grinning. "I did not see a reason why not to, especially since it comes in handy when on hunting trips. I also used a bit of magic to help it along." He seemed about to go on when a blaring alarm sounded and Natasha jumped up, hand instantly going to her belt.

"Stay here, take my cell phone." She shoved her cell in his hands, not even caring how startled he was. "Go to the list of contacts and phone Stark if you must. Ask for me, do not tell him who you are. Only phone in an emergency though." She quickly explained before running over to the desk by the door, grabbing a pair of keys, another bigger gun and knife. "JARVIS, do not allow anyone in my room while I am gone unless my guest says so."

"Of course, Miss Romanoff." Once the AI had responded, she throws a worried look Loki's way before rushing out the door. She took off down the hall, placing her earpiece in and talking into it.

"Stark, Rogers, what is going on? Why is the alarm going off?" She talks quickly, whipping open the stairwell door and racing down the stairs.

A moment later and Stark came on, a couple blasts sounding in the background. "We have a bit of a situation! Rogers is getting the plane ready for you guys! Birdbrain and I are at the scene already. You are not going to believe this!" Natasha really doubted that but she quickly confirmed and raced out the next door on to the flight pad. As he said, the captain was there already with a nervous Bruce and absolutely furious Thor.

"Natasha, we need to go now. Thor will give you a quick debriefing on our way." Rogers quickly explained before jumping into the pilots seat and taking off once everyone was on. Bruce sat beside Natasha and Thor across from them both. Banner didn't seem to know what was happening either, only that they would really need him.

"Ok Thor, quick run down on what is happening. I assume that since you are here, it isn't exactly something Earth related.

"No, Midgard has been attacked by 2 scouts, both from Muspelheim. We do not know why, or how they have gotten here yet, but we need to subdue them very soon. Their warriors are very strong and can easily take down anything in this realm." Natasha's heart dropped slightly at that, especially since even Thor seemed worried. That was not a good sign. Banner looked the most relaxed out of anybody, despite how he had to go into the battle. He knew what he had to do though. Natasha would have to see these scouts before figuring out what she could do.

Loki had become increasingly nervous over the length of time Natasha was gone. Whatever it was, it was not close by. He knew he had the odd contraption that she gave him, but he was unsure of how to use it or if he should. What if Stark recognized him, his voice? He growled in annoyance, running his fingers through his hair as he paced. Surely she would be back soon…

When Natasha, Thor, Bruce and Steve got to the scene, all they could think was that they would have trouble. The scouts, it looked like, seemed to have a defense which caused their skin to burst into flames. When those flames died, usually after Stark or Clint got too close, she could see the heavy, glowing red armour that covered every part of their bodies except their heads. Red and yellow horns curled out of the sides of their oddly human like features, save for the golden yellow skin of their race. They stood about 8-9 feet tall, carrying large weapons that curved like a bow but instead had sharp blades following the curve on the inside and outside. One blow and they could easily be cut in half, or partially were it a softer blow. Stark was in the air, trying to assess their armour for weak spots and Clint was on the ground, trying his best to get a shot in their neck anywhere before they burst into flames.

Natasha pulled her gun just as Bruce let the hulk out, watching the green beast run forward with a roar and tackle one of the scouts down, despite the flames licking at his skin. Steve ran forward to help Bruce and Thor started calling his lightening, storm clouds gathering overhead. The one beast still standing who was being pummeled by shots from Stark but was seemingly unaffected, set his sights on her and started running forward, death intent gleaming in his glowing red eyes. Natasha stood her ground and raised her gun, firing off three easy shots, right in his neck. He stumbled and Stark took that chance to get in and land a hard punch in the back of his skull. He went down, not out but dazed. Clint went next, firing off one arrow which then exploded, killing the beast.

From off the other way, there was a screech of pain, everyone looking before racing over. The hulk had wrestled the weapon away and shoved it through the armour and into the beasts body. One hit from the shield and the weapon was right through his body, possibly killing him instantly as he went down. There was an audible sigh of relief from everyone, despite the cut down Clint's leg and what looked like crunched pieces of armour on Tony. The hulk had some burns but nothing major, Steve looked fairly fine and Thor as well. Thor looked confused though, possibly because of how the creatures had gotten there. From the scorth marks on the stabbed beast, it seemed that Thor had shocked him enough for the stab to occur. Natasha was just about to suggest getting the clean up team in here to dispose of the bodies when a dangerous snarl came from behind. Before she could move, she was tackled down, a searing pain running along her leg. The weight of a body was gone suddenly, Thor having tackled what looked like a dog with 6 legs, red skin and two heads to the ground and pinned it. The hulk smashed in it's head and it died, though that did not silence the screams coming from Natasha who had been bitten on the leg, skin ripped open. Steve ran to her and grabbed her shoulders, trying to keep her pained writhing from continuing even as Stark called for a medical team.

"She needs that wound cleaned out immediately!" Thor yelled, rushing over as well and looking stricken. Thor had been bitten by one of these beasts, a Sutrey as they called it, and it turned out that when bit, they released a very toxic poison. Tony cursed and picked her up, practically ripping her away from Steve before taking off. The others looked after the two, screams fading into the distance before climbing into the plane and taking off again.

Loki could tell something was wrong. She should have been back hours ago yet she wasn't and it made him nervous. He was considering calling Stark already, not liking how this felt. If she had her protection symbol on then he would know if she was in any danger but nothing had happened yet.. A few minutes later, just as he was about to dial, he felt a searing pain in his own leg and let out a startled cry. It passed momentarily but he knew that Natasha was hurt at that moment. He grabbed the device of hers and dialed the number as quickly as possible, putting it to his ear.

Stark heard the ringing from someone calling him and answered it, seeing as it was Natasha's phone of all things. Who was it that had her phone? "This is Stark!" He yelled, trying to be overheard by Natasha's screams. Loki could hear them through the ear piece and flinched, heart hammering in his chest now.

"Where is Natasha? Is she hurt? Is she safe?!" He asked quickly, lowering his voice a bit just in case, hoping to disguise it enough.

"Natasha is with me and no, she is not safe! She has been hurt very badly! Who is this?!" Loki hung up just as Stark asked, worry painting his face now. Natasha was the one screaming, he just knew it. Damn it, he should have asked where they were going. He ran to the door and tried it, growling in annoyance when he found it locked.

"Miss Romanoff has restricted access to anyone, so I have taken the precaution on sealing this room until she arrives again." Loki heard the man called JARVIS say from above, glaring up at the ceiling before sitting on the couch, trying not to pace. He must wait..

Hours later, and Natasha awoke from a medicine induced sleep. The other avengers were seated around her, Bruce looking at his phone, worry creasing his forehead, Clint staring at the floor as if deep in thought, Thor right beside her, holding her hand and rubbing gently, Steve beside Thor and watching closely, and Tony sitting at her other side, eyes closed and snoring.

"Lady Natasha! You have awoken!" Thor grinned brightly and basically everyone perked up, including Tony who let out an amusing snort, blinking his eyes in confusion. Everyone looked relieved now and Natasha rubbed a hand against her eyes, trying to work through the cloud of sleep that was very slowly lifting from her mind. The memories of the fight flashed past, including when she got bitten. The last thing she remembered though was blacking out in Tony's arms, the pain excruciating.

"What happened.." She muttered, furrowing her brows and trying to move. It seemed the medicine, perhaps a pain reliever, had made her limbs heavy and it took too much strength to move.

"You were bit by that creature the scouts brought with them. We did not know it was there until it attacked you.." Steve explained, giving a slight glare to the yawning Tony.

"Yeah, and I flew you over here, enduring all those high pitched screams. You should make a weapon out of those, I thought my eardrums would burst." Bruce gave a light smack to Tony's head, getting a muttered sorry.

"The man of iron possibly saved your life. He knew the wound needed to be cleaned and once he got you to these healers, they washed it out, despite their confusion. I arrived and managed to instruct them further on how to remove the poison before it attacked the rest of your body. We were quite fortunate today." Thor tightened his grip on her hand and she nodded slowly. That was when the cloud finally lifted from her mind and her eyes widened. Loki.

"How long was I out?" She asked sharply, looking at Tony. He fidgeted a bit under her stern gaze, never really having been on the receiving end before.

"A good 5 or 6 hours. I wasn't keeping track." A look of slight panic settled over her features and she held out her hand to him expectantly.

"Phone, I need to call someone. Make sure they are fine and all right." Steve looked like he would interject but she gave him that same glare, effectively shutting him up. Tony's phone was placed in her hand and she quickly dialed her own number, lifting it to her ear.

Loki had continued to pace, even after he sat down, worried sick and trying not to break anything. What had happened? Was Natasha ok? When was she coming back? His green eyes flicked to the phone when it started to belt out an odd tune, what midguardians called rock. He grabbed it and hit the green button, assuming that would allow the call to come through. "Hello?"

"It's Natasha, I'm in the hospital. Are you ok? Nobody tried to get in my room did they? You better not have left at all." Loki had never thought he would ever hear anything more beautiful than the sound of her voice at that moment. He exhaled and finally relaxed slightly, despite hearing the words 'in the hospital'.

"Yes, I am fine, I did not leave. Why are you in the hospital? What happened to you? Who were you fighting?" Loki rattled off his own questions quickly, though they were not exactly the ones he wanted to ask. They were the most important though.

"A beast attacked me and bit my leg, poisoning me. Do not fret, I shall be fine. I shall leave the hospital within the hour and come see you. So long as I am allowed to. My body guards are all giving me stern looks." She crossed her free arm and glared right back, features set in determination. "I will see you then. And L? Try not to fall asleep.." She practically whispered the last part before hanging up, handing the phone back.

Loki sighed again and set the phone down, sitting on the couch with a relaxed body now. She was safe and it sounded like all of the avengers were there with her. Good. He found it a bit amusing when he called him by only the first letter of his name, despite seeing the point of it. She couldn't alert the avengers. But she had told him not to fall asleep, was she worried for him? Did she not want him to suffer through a nightmare alone? It caused his heart to flip again, just at the thought..

"Who is L and why did you have to call him or her so damn urgently? And you are not leaving this hospital until you have healed." Tony seemed to be the furious one now, mostly because of how relaxed Natasha seemed to be.

"L is a friend of mine, nobody you know. And the reason for the call is private. As for the issue of leaving, I shall need my clothes, some extra bandages and some privacy. I'm not staying another single hour hear, especially not the night." Everyone but Bruce seemed to be ready to argue but she held up a hand, stopping them before they even started. "I will leave one way or another. I do not wish to force my way out those doors but I will." After a moment, Steve nodded and picked up her clothes which were folded neatly, setting them on the bed.

"Let us leave her to get changed for but a moment. It is obvious Natasha is fine and would not leave were she not fine." Mostly everyone left willingly, though Steve had to almost drag Clint out, his brown eyes looking more worried than usual. He also seemed to want to say something but she shook her head, sighing. She knew what it was about and she didn't want to hear it at all. She swung her legs out of the bed and inspected her leg which was wrapped in gauze and bandages, partially soaked through with blood. A roll of her eyes was the only indication she gave to the wound before getting dressed, trying to not put too much weight on her bad leg. She would be walking out of here tonight, on her own two feet.

An hour later, she was limping down the hall to her room, running her fingers through her curls. Now to face an obviously worried Asgardian god… She took her key out and slipped it in the lock, undoing it before walking in. All the lights were off and she assumed Loki had done what she said not to and gone to sleep. He was worse than Thor sometimes. She closed the door and just as she was reaching for the light switch, she was suddenly pressed back against the door, slim fingers gently gripping her arms. She looked up, and up, into the face of Loki, the moonlight casting a pale shadow over his oddly calm features. There was worry still in his shining green eyes but there was something else, something different… Before she had a chance to even figure it out, he had leaned forward and captured her lips with his….


	5. A New Kind of Intimacy

When he finally pulled back, they both stared at each other. And stared. And stared. Natasha was shocked and Loki seemed to be as well. She was still pinned by his hands, she slowly realized, though she surprisingly didn't mind. He wasn't attacking her, and though she would never admit it, she had actually liked it.

Why did he do that. He was simply planning on embracing her, glad that she was ok, but he had instead dove into the blue abyss of uncertainty and kissed her. Kissed the most infamous assassin of this time, who was supposed to be his enemy. Had things changed, just over the short period of time that they had been around each other? She wasn't pulling away so perhaps they had…

She could see the indecision in his eyes and she closed her own, sighing softly. She was probably making a really bad decision by doing this, but she had never been one for thinking ahead of time. Hasty decisions were her specialty after all, it seemed. Just as Loki seemed to be pulling away, she lifted her hands, placing them around his neck, and pulled him down. She let her lips brush gently over his before firmly placing them together, feeling his hands move to up her arms to cup her face.

Once again, Loki was shocked. Instead of fear or loathing in her eyes, he saw curiosity and a slight determination. He felt her hands move around his neck, and for a moment he feared she might try and choke him. Instead, her gentle grip brought him down again, a light butterfly kiss being shared before a firmer, more solid kiss came. Would she make anymore of his, albeit private, dreams come true? Ones he never even dared hope for? His hands moved to cup her face gently, keeping her there just a bit longer before they parted for a breath.

Natasha sighed softly into the kiss, just before he pulled away and she opened her eyes. She found his already open, emerald green boring into sea blue. A soft, almost shy smile graced her lips, causing a slight shudder to run through his body, visible, especially at this closeness. Perhaps it was at that moment, or perhaps it was the moment when they first agreed to help each other, when they both unknowingly fell in love. All that Natasha knew, right at that moment, was she wanted more. To throw all abandon out the window and take that plunge with him. Risk her entire self through one simple action.

Loki was on cloud 9 by the time they parted their lips. His eyes locked on hers and stayed locked, not looking away like he might usually do. She smiled and the shyness, the gracefulness caused a shiver of want to run through him. He wouldn't push it though, especially not now. He wasn't even sure what they were to do now. Go on with the day? Go to sleep? Forget what happened completely?

She only caught a glimpse of the light fire in his eyes before her lips were on his again, pressing more insistently this time. Her arms moved to wrap completely around his neck as she pushed off the wall, ignoring the protest of her muscles in her hurt leg. She felt his hands fall on her hips in surprise, though he didn't really have much of a chance to steady himself. Natasha stepped forward the few steps needed, driving him back until his legs hit the couch and they both tumbled down, much like how they had the day before just before she punched him. This time, there would be no physical pain, unless it was for a good reason. A very good reason.

How was it that she still managed to surprise him, despite all that he knew about her? He only had a moment to react when she leaned forward, pushing off the wall to practically throw herself forward into his arms. Hands on her hips, he had an advantage, though that still didn't stop her from pushing him backwards easily until they were on the couch, his back pressed into the cushions and legs still over the arm. That wasn't expected in the least.

She knew she had surprised him, that he had not expected the kiss nor them both falling backwards onto the couch. Honestly, it gave her a bit of an ego boost, knowing that the god before her could not predict what she would do next, what she would be comfortable with. To get more comfortable, she moved her hands into his hair, arms resting beneath his head. Loki shifted beneath her, just enough that they were both comfortable but able to move fairly freely. Her hands were in his hair suddenly, lips more insistent and he let out a low growl, causing her to shiver this time and tighten her grip. Just as she was about to part her lips and give his a taunting lick, there was a knock at the door. Natasha pulled away with a start, blinking in surprise, face slightly flushed, practically a mirror of the dark haired god below her.

"Natasha? It's Stark, let me come in. I'm supposed to check your wound, orders from Bruce Banner." There was obvious annoyance behind his tone, though also amusement. It seemed that he found it funny he was assigned to take care of her, despite how capable she was. Natasha let out a low curse, much to Loki's amusement and she slipped off him, standing and pointing to her bedroom.

"Go in there, stay quiet. No matter what you hear." He simply nodded and got up, going into the bedroom and closing the door. Natasha took a moment to smooth her hair out before walking to the door and opening it, giving Tony a polite smile. "Oh, hello Tony. Nice to see you again." Her voice was a bit higher than usual, cheeks flushed and eyes bright. Tony knew all the signs and he tried to get a peek through the barely open door.

"Have someone over, do you? Perhaps that L person you were speaking of earlier?" Her cheeks flushed more, the sudden accusation causing her to lose her voice for a moment. Tony just laughed and gave a gentle shove to the door before brushing right past her and looking around. "In the bedroom? I never knew you went fast Natasha."

She sighed and shut the door, crossing her arms. "If you do not do the check quickly, I am going to give you something else to check, and it is not on my own body." He just grinned and walked to the couch, flopping down before patting the seat beside him. After a moment she joined him, lifting her leg and raising her pant leg. The blood seemed to have soaked through more and it was obvious the bandages needed to be changed. Stark raised a brow at this, pulling bandages and gauze out of the bag he had.

"Whatever you and that guy were doing better not have pulled your stitches out. The doctor will not be happy with you." Natasha blushed harder, something she tried not to do around anybody, especially Tony. He slowly started to undo the bandages, Natasha watching with curiosity. Once they were gone, she had to look away from the marred and damaged skin. There was at least 25 or 30 stitches holding the skin together and it would definitely leave a nasty scar. Within moments though, Tony had applies disinfectant, bandages then gauze. "I will leave you to get back to whoever is in your bedroom. And you had better introduce us soon, I want to make sure he is good for you." There was a thump as she whacked him with a pillow, throwing it at his retreating, laughing form. She scowled before walking over to lock the door, making sure nobody could just walk in. After a moment of getting her breathing back and calming the flush to her cheeks, she walked to the bedroom door and opened it. She wasn't surprised to see him lounged out on her bed, what she hadn't expected was his browing of her cosmopolitan magazine.

"This flimsy book is very interesting, many good tips. Though, I do hope you have not used them all yet." He grins over the edge and she can feel her cheeks grow warm again.

"You had to pick the one magazine in my collection that would have sex moves in it!" She hurried over and grabbed the magazine away, tucking it back in her drawer hastily. "And didn't I say to not go looking through my things?'' He just smiled with amusement, shrugging a bit before reaching out and slipping his hand over hers.

"Stark irritated you with his topic of conversation. I would be too, had it not been amusing from this end. You should have punched him instead of hitting him with a pillow though." Natasha allowed herself to be pulled down on to the edge of the bed, his smile causing her irritation to lessen significantly. He chuckled softly, wrapping his arms around her waist instead. He was quite content now, those few doubts in his mind having been put to rest with that first reciprocated kiss. She just smiled and leaned forward, giving him a quick, light kiss, nothing like what they were sharing before. She saw his eyes dart to the clock and she sighed once she saw the late hour.

"We should really get some sleep. Who knows what will be coming from Muspelheim next.." Loki tensed at that, hands gripping her waist a bit tighter.

"Muspelheim? The creatures that attacked you were from Muspelheim? Why did you not tell me over the phone?" Loki was obviously agitated by this bit of news, though the wound made more sense now. Something powerful was the only thing to actually bring Natasha down, if but for a little while.

"I couldn't tell you while the others were in the room, they would have become more suspicious than they already are. The others only suffered minor injuries, I was the worst. They had a dog-like beast which them which bit me. The poison was withdrawn though and I am fine now." He nods slowly before sitting up and giving her a gentle hug, much like a lover would, gently rubbing her back in the process.

"I am glad you are well then.. Now, I shall leave you to get to sleep.." He made to stand and leave but she pressed her hands to his shoulders, stopping him effectively. She gave him a shy smile, the one that had previously calmed and melted his heart.

"Stay.. You never know, you might have another nightmare. It will be easier to calm you the closer I am." He raises a brow before nodding, leaning back again. She smiled and stood, moving to retrieve her pyjamas again. Going into the bathroom, she closed the door and locked it, looking in the mirror. There was a happiness to her that had not been there for a while, years actually. She gave her reflection I playful wink before changing, brushing her teeth and brushing her hair. Once done, she walked out, turning off the light before stopping in her tracks. Last night, she had not taken the time to see how Loki dressed in his sleep, nor this morning. Well, she noticed _now. _

"I know I am beautiful but I did not expect you to stare." Loki grinned playfully at her indignant expression, showing he was just joking. When he sat up, she sighed in relief when the blankets fell away to show he was at least wearing boxers. The reason she had stopped was because he had his arms behind his head, staring at the ceiling, appearing naked completely. That had been a bit nerve wracking, but his wearing boxers calmed her rapidly beating heart. It kept going at a faster pace though, mostly because he was beautiful. His dark hair swooped past his fair skinned shoulders, nicely defined muscles rolling along his arms, chest and abs. Wearing clothing, he just looked like a normal, scrawny guy. Like this though, where all his muscles were in definition… Wow.

Loki was actually having the same difficulty himself, eyes locked on the equally staring redhead. Despite his quip, he was actually having a hard time forming words. Again. The way her curls bounced around her beautiful face, eyes bright. The way her clothes hugged her slim body, cutting off at just the right point, covering everything, but also high enough to tease. His eyes barely touched on the bandage before looking away. No, he would not think of that right now.

Natasha blushed at his roaming eyes, and once she got over her own staring, she walked swiftly to the bed and slipped under the covers. In one swift motion, she turned the lights off and layed down, pulling the covers up under hers arms, curling up on her side facing Loki this time. She looked up at him, just enough light provided by the moon for them both to see each other. They watched each other, both smiling gently before Loki slipped more under the covers as well and pulled her close, nuzzling his face in her hair. Despite what he would like to continue, now was the time for sleep….


	6. The Sweetest of Pain

_No. No, no, no, this couldn't be happening! Wake up Loki, wake up.. Loki tried to will himself awake but it wasn't working. His green eyes scanned the scene below him, seemingly floating above this time. Instead of Thor and Loki this time though, it was Loki and Natasha, with Natasha in his stifled a sob as he saw words pass between them, Loki gripping his scepter and reaching out to her, but she shook her head. She looked sad, just as he had before he watched her fingers uncurl from the spear, plummeting into the darkness below. Both the Loki below and above screamed at the same time. Natasha!_

Natasha woke with a start, having been enjoying a nice dream for once, but Loki's actual scream woke her very abruptly. She had been curled up on her side, Loki having splayed out and taken up most of the bed. She was laying on his arm, but at the moment, she didn't care. Sitting up, she looked to Loki who seemed even more pained than last night and she even heard him call out her name, quite softly though, as if it hurt to say that single word.

"Loki! Wake up, it's just a dream!" She grabbed his shoulders and shook him hard, his green eyes opening after a few more shakes. The look in them quickly fades, but Natasha knows she won't forget it for a while. What she had seen was fear, pure unadulterated fear. Not even she had seen that in her victims eyes before and it scared her. When he seemed to register where he was and that she was there, the tension left his body slightly, despite the single tear running down the side of his face. Instead of him embracing her first, this time she pulled him close, hugging tightly and whispering calming words. Whatever had scared you seemed to be worse than last night..

Loki relaxed more into the hug and clung to her, just as he had before, cheek pressed more against her chest than shoulder this time. So long as she didn't mind, neither would he. Actually, it was comforting to hear her heartbeat under his ear. It showed she was really there, not falling through that cold abyss just like how he had done. After a moment of her hand stroking his hair, the gentle thumping of her heart in her chest and his slowly relaxing muscles, he would pull away, giving her a reassuring smile. She gave a light smile back, despite the worry in her eyes and he sighs.

"Did Thor tell you what happened when I fell from Asgard?" He whispers, looking away with a slight shame. She rested a hand at the back of his neck, soothingly playing with his hair as she nodded. At the time, they had needed to know everything about Loki so Thor had decided to give the entire story, including Loki's fall.

"I dreamt..that I was in Thor's place, holding you above the abyss and trying to convince you to hold on..You kept refusing, it seemed, and ended up letting go. That is when I awoke to your shaking.." He started to tense up again at the memory, Natasha pulling him close so his head rested in her lap. She bent over him, giving him a few gentle kisses in reassurance. "I would not do that to you unless I had no choice. Do not worry yourself so.." He smiled gently and leaned up to kiss her fully on the mouth, arm looping around her neck to keep her there. After a few moments of these gentle kisses, he would sit up and press her back into the mattress, only their chest and lips pressed together.

Natasha couldn't really help it, the sensations running through her like earlier, though much more forcefully. Perhaps it was because of the dreams she had been part of in this bed so many times, or maybe it was because of his own nightmares and the trust he seemed to have in way, when he moved atop her and pinned her to the mattress, hands placed beside her shoulders, she didn't resist at all. Her hands were placed on the smooth planes of his chest between them, feeling the odd coolness there and the beating of his heart. Just as she seemed distracted by that cool feeling, a swipe of his tongue brought her attention back with a gasp. His lips were parted against hers already and she accepted, opening them just enough to let his tongue hit home with hers. A soft moan left her lips, letting his tongue slide against hers, almost in a teasing, sneaky way. It was just so _him._ Her hands moved from his chest to his shoulders, pushing the blankets caught there down, slowly, only with the movements of her hands. Loki shuddered softly under her gentle caresses, starting to move one hand up her side and closer to her breasts before…

"Aaahhhhh.." He yawned. God, that was embarrassing. He blushed and looked down at an amused Natasha who's hands had stilled on his higher back.

"Tired hmm? Guess we will have to reserve this for another time.." He starts to protest but she just puts a finger to his lips, smiling gently. "Shhh, just relax. I don't mind." Loki sighed but did as she said, causing an amused laugh to leave her lips when he settled his head right on the pillow of her breasts. The action wasn't meant to be close to her breasts, despite the lewd thoughts he had been starting to think of just minutes earlier. No, he just wished to listen to her heart beat again. Natasha seemed to understand this however, just moving to play with his hair, twirling it between her fingers. Her other hand rested on his shoulder, gently rubbing, even as she hummed that song of hers. When Natasha looked back to Loki again, he would be out like a light. Following suit, Natasha fell asleep as well. Neither of them dreamed.

When Natasha woke the next morning, she was curled up with Loki again, tucked in against his side with his arm wrapped protectively around her shoulders. This time though, she didn't jump up in fright, she didn't awkwardly stammer. No, this time she smiled and snuggled closer, eyeing the cold bedroom with disdain. She had to get up, but she really didn't want to leave this warm embrace that seemed so perfect. Finally, after a few minutes of fully waking up and listening to the deep breathing of the man beside her, she maneuvered out of his grasp and got up, stretching a bit before moving to the bathroom to change into her regular black suit. She wasn't in there long, and when she came out she saw Loki had decided it would be a good idea to take up the entire bed by flipping on to his stomach and laying spread eagled. She chuckled and walked over, kissing his head gently before leaving the room quietly. She wrote a note that she had to go and do some SHIELD stuff before walking out the door.

Loki woke about an hour later, finding himself completely alone. With a slight frown, he got up and went out to the vacant living room, eyes catching the note. Once he read it, a soft sigh left his lips and he glanced around before deciding on a shower. Might as well. He went into the washroom, heating up the shower and stepping in, having left his clothes folded on the counter.

Natasha was bored, despite working in the training room with Steve. She just wasn't in to the whole work out thing that day and he could tell, of course. He had known her just long enough to read the signs of distraction.

"Natasha? Hey, Natasha!" He gave a gentle shake to her shoulder, causing her to snap out of her thoughts which had strayed to last night. Steve looked at her worriedly and she just looked back, confused.

"What? Sorry, I was..thinking." Steve sighed and shook his head, crossing his arms in a simple movement.

"You have been distracted the entire time we have been down here. I clipped you during sparring, you let go of the punching bag when you were supposed to be holding it for more resistance and now I catch you not spotting me on the bench press. Natasha, is something wrong? Is Loki getting to you again? I heard you scream last night.." Natasha winced, having hoped nobody heard that. No such luck it seemed.

"Yes, well, it was nothing. Just something silly really. And no, Loki's escape has not been getting to me. In fact, I have been quite calm over the issue. I don't think we really need to worry about it at this point in time." Steve arched a brow in response before pulling her into a gentle hug.

"Nat, you know you don't need to be strong around me. We have gone through worse than this, I'm sure I can handle what you want to say.." _Oh if only you could._ Natasha thought to herself before shaking her head and pulling away.

"I'm fine Steve, don't worry. I'm just tired. Maybe I will go and lay down for a bit, see if I can catch some sleep." He nodded in understanding, giving her a gentle smile as she made her way out the gym doors. On her way up, she caught herself thinking of what almost happened last night again. Damn, she wished that he hadn't been so tired. She had really wanted that actually… With a dreamy sigh, she continued down the hallway before suddenly being stopped by a slender hand she already knew too well. Loki turned her around and pressed her against the wall, grin in place on his face and green eyes shining with mischief. He had placed both his hands beside her, effectively trapping her there as he stared her down, her lips unconsciously biting her lip.

Unknown to the both of them, Clint was actually on his way down the hall, intent on seeing Natasha. He was going to apologize, make sure she was doing ok. Give her the extra bandages he had picked up… Rounding the corner, he stopped in his tracks, eyes widening and the grip on his bow tightening instinctively. There was Loki, the man who had taken over his mind, standing right in front of Tasha, wearing that manic grin of his. They hadn't seemed to notice him yet which was good.

Loki had no clue Clint was there, and neither did Natasha. She lifted her hand to his neck and pulled him down, leaning up so they could properly kiss. Before that happened though, her ears caught the sound of a bow pulled taught, and she looked to the side, letting out a gasp as she saw Clint with his bow raised, arrow notched.

"No!" She cried out, pushing Loki away and stepping forward, the twang going off as the arrow let loose and then she felt it. The sliding of metal going through the flesh of her chest. She gasped and curled in on herself, even as she heard identical shouts of panic, one from behind and one in front of her. She started to fall, but long arms caught her before laying her down gently. She faintly heard accusations fly, from both Clint and Loki it seemed, even as her vision started to last thing she saw in her darkening vision was a beautiful pair of emerald green eyes…

(Do not worry, story followers, this is not the end! Well, unless you count my chapters for the day, then yes, it is. I need sleep, but I shall post a few more chapters tomorrow. Do not fret!)


	7. Is Love Just Trouble?

_Ugh, what is that noise…_ Natasha thought, clenching her eyes slightly against the noises slowly coming into definition around her. A voice, no two, maybe three at most, all sounded as if they were arguing. Natasha gave a slight groan and the voices all stopped instantly before she felt something, a cool pressure on her hand.

"Natasha…" She finally heard through the haze before another sound came through, something like a thump then a shout of outrage then a calming voice. When she finally opened her eyes, the scene before her would have made her laugh had she not been so weak. Clint and Steve were standing beside her bed, practically like bodyguards, and Loki was near the foot of her bed, face stricken. When their gazes met, he grinned with relief and she smiled back. He tried to come around Steve's side but the soldier wouldn't let him, despite how much Steve wanted to ask if she were ok.

"Steve…Let him through.." Both Clint and Steve looked at her incredulously and Loki smirked. Obviously whatever they had been fighting about was being settled by her words. "You heard, let him come to me.." She lifted her hand, reaching out. When Steve tried to take it, she pulled back and gave him a glare, weak but still harsh enough to get him to back away. Clint was glaring daggers at Loki as he moved forward, kneeling beside her and taking her hand. His eyes flicked nervously between the super soldier and Clint, and she knew that he must have been pretty close to being taken into custody. "You didn't get shot…" Natasha finally said and every single pair of eyes turned back to her.

"A certain redhead sort of prevented that…" He murmured, thumb gently caressing the back of her hand. The tension increased in the room, both Steve and Clint obviously unsure of what was happening. With a sigh, Natasha slowly sat up, everyone moving to help her but she waved it off. Despite being shot, she would be fine. One she was seated in a more comfortable position, she looked at the three men before smirking, something that seemed to be rubbing off on her from the man on her left.

"Steve, Clint, you all know Loki of course. Loki, your formal introduction to Steve Rogers and Clint Barton." Loki chuckled but the others tensed even more and Natasha rolled her eyes. "And Clint, you are just lucky I can't move much right now otherwise you would have a broken nose. Couldn't you see what was happening?!" He winced and crossed his arms, trying not to get angry.

"I saw this asshole towering over you, his arms trapping your body. I assumed that he had caught you unawares and something was going to happen to you. I went by instinct and shot. Though, that didn't work exactly.."

"Obviously! You didn't even think to wait, see if I was reacting violently, you just shot! Now look, I'm in the hospital again, this time thanks to your own doing!" She had sat up a bit in her outburst and groaned with pain, leaning back heavily on the cushions. Steve, being the one not to take sides, moved past Clint and sat on the edge of the bed.

"I believe what Clint means, is he thought he might have taken you over, like he did to Clint.." Natasha shot daggers at the now unnerved looking Clint, Loki snickering softly. She gave him a light whack for that and he instantly shut up, despite the laughter in his eyes.

"Yeah, sure. Do my eyes look creepy blue to you? Did he have his scepter thing? No, he didn't. And my eyes are perfectly normal, thank you. Loki and I were simply…" She stopped, finding it a bit awkward to explain that they were about to start making out in the hall like a couple of horny teenagers. Loki chuckled and gave her hand a squeeze, almost reassuring.

"What she means to say, is I had her against the wall for different reasons. Private reasons. I am sure Tony can explain to you both as I have heard of his exploits.'' Steve looked a bit confused but Clint looked taken aback.

"Wait, you guys were making out in the hall way?! At Stark Towers of all places?!" Steve got it as soon as the words left Clint's mouth and his own cheeks flushed. He gave Natasha disapproving look before grabbing Clint by his collar and taking him outside. After a moment where Loki and Natasha just looked at each other with amusement, Steve would return, this time with Tony who must have been waiting in the hall.

"Did it really have to be my hallway? Why couldn't you just keep it in your bedroom like when I came to check on you?" Natasha laughed before wincing and holding her chest. That wound was going to cause some trouble for sure. Loki even chuckled and Tony looked at them both seriously. "You realize I had just gotten those halls cleaned, right? Now the tiles are tinted red because of your blood. That is coming out of your salary." Another snicker, this time from everybody but Tony.

"You know, you are probably the calmest over this entire situation, Stark. Might I ask why and for what reason?" Loki spoke smoothly, eyebrow raised as he watched him roll his eyes.

"Natasha has her reasons for keeping you in her room, that is obvious. I also don't really care who she is banging at the time," That caused a sputter of protest to come from Natasha, though he just lifted a hand in silence. "The only thing I care about, is that you are not causing any trouble. If you were the one to let those scouts come to earth though.." His expression darkened and Loki rolled his eyes.

"Please, I came here to warn people about that. I may have broken out of Asgard, but I did find out important things on my way to Midgard. I do not know how they are managing to get here, but Muspelheim is planning an attack. You have seen how strong their scouts are, as well as some of the beasts they shall bring. Their force will be incredibly strong, hard to beat." Both Steve and Tony were staring at him now, and Natasha felt him grip her hand gently. It was just for that little bit of reassurance and she understood, giving him a light squeeze back.

"Well, that would have been good to know when you first learned of it!" Tony sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, taking deep breaths. "Steve, be a good boy and run down to SHIELD HQ. Don't tell them of Loki's presence, just that a reliable source has given us this information. Relay everything important to them, including the whole fire thing. Probably good to know. As for you two.." He looks back to Loki and Natasha as Steve leaves the room, "Take care of her, otherwise I will set the hulk on you. Again." Loki glowered at Stark who just grinned and left the room. Natasha watched this exchange with amusement, only saying something once he had left.

"This is why I told you not to leave the room." That caused a bark of a laugh to leave Loki's lips, green eyes turned to focus on her again.

"What, that you would get shot by a moron while making out in the hallway with me? I'm sure that thought crossed your mind plenty of times." She blushed at that and threw an arm over her face, cheeks flaming red again.

"You and your silver tongue are going to get in trouble if you don't stop that. We are just lucky only a few people know and not the entire team as well as SHIELD. They will need to know at some point though.." Loki couldn't help the reply that popped into his head at that and he snickered. Leaning forward, he whispered gently in her ear,

"You haven't even seen what my silver tongue can do yet.." Natasha's eyes widened, cheeks going a brighter red. He grinned and kissed her cheek before pulling away. "All in due time though. I believe you should be well before anything like that happens." Natasha couldn't help the giggle that left her lips at that, trying not to blush more.

"You sound quite confident in your actions, Loki. Hopefully you rise to my expectations." She smirked just as he did and he leaned forward to give her a slow, gentle kiss. Not to incite more, just a silent promise to her statement. She wrapped an arm around his neck to keep him there a bit longer before he pulled away.

"It won't be long. If I heard correctly, your wounds shall take less than a week to be healed enough to leave the hospital. At least then you can be in the comfort of your own home." Despite his confident words and smile, Natasha could see a slight nervousness in his eyes. She remembered what he said on the mountain, about finding somewhere else to hide were he to be found out. Was he going to leave her, despite what he had been saying? The thought scared her, probably more than it should have.

"You aren't leaving, are you?" He looks slightly surprised at the question before shaking his head quickly, gripping her hand tightly.

"No, of course not. Not with out you, I promise. You would be in too much danger were I to be somewhere else. " Natasha listened before nodding, a smile gracing her face. He wasn't lying, his guards weren't even up. Not at the moment at least.

"Ok, I believe you.." Loki gave her forehead a kiss before whispering that she should go to sleep. Taking his advice, she closed her eyes and drifted off. She did not dream.

Over the next few weeks, the tower would be busy, preparing everyone, doing extra training, even thinking up new weapons ideas. In amongst that commotion though, there was a small pocket of peace, being shared between only two people. Natasha and Loki were beginning to become closer as the time spent with each other increased. Loki helped her heal, using bits of magic that would not affect her body in different ways, always talking and explaining. Sometimes even sharing bits of his life in Asgard. In return, Natasha would share things about her own past, even some of the things that used to plague her dreams. Soon, they started to learn each others body language. When Loki twitched, or his eyes were darker after a restless nights sleep, she would hug him without a word. Because of the drugs she had to take for her wound, she didn't wake up usually, even if Loki cried out. After these nights, she would hold him close and stay in bed a little bit longer, talking and soothing him. These happened less and less often though, as his fears started to dissipate into nothing. When Natasha would sit on the couch and stare out the window, eyes bright and fingers tapping on the sofa arm, he would know she was thinking of the future. She always had high hopes for them both, he realized, and so he would sit with her, hold her close and let her talk about her dreams. There was not much they didn't share.

One day, close to a month after the shooting incident between Clint and themselves, Loki would be sprawled on their bed, waiting for Natasha to join him. They had taken to sleeping in the same bed every night, now that they were closer and trusted each other. When the door to the bathroom opened again, he looked over, expecting to see Natasha in her usual pajama set as always. When she stepped out though, he got quite the shock, his jaw hanging open slightly. As Natasha crossed the room, a gentle flush to her cheeks, Loki's gaze roamed over her. She was wearing a gorgeous green silk nightgown which ended just above her knees. The sides were interwoven black lace that allowed her skin to peak through, as well as the top part which concealed her breasts. He was astounded, to say the least. When she slipped under the covers, giving him that shy little smile of hers, he found his voice again.

"You look….stunning, Natasha.." He whispers, licking his now dry lips. She blushed a bit more, leaning forward and giving him a slow, teasing kiss.

"Lets not talk, not tonight.." She whispered, trembling gently when she feels one of his hands rest on her hip, the silk sliding pleasantly over her skin. Loki gave a nod before he wrapped both his arms around her waist, lips colliding with hers. Their kisses were slow and gentle, exploring every inch of that minimal surface before continuing, despite the feverish pitch their skin got up to. Natasha made the next move, parting her lips to ease her tongue out, feeling his own tongue meet hers. They had gone this far before, many times actually, but tonight was different. Both of them could feel it.

When Natasha shifted, her arms going around his neck as she slipped onto his lap, straddling him, she deepened the kiss more. The pace starting to become hotter, more frantic. Loki broke the kiss and dipped down to kiss along her jawline, her neck, and then her collarbone. She made delicious sounds of minimal pleasure, sighing and murmuring his name at each especially erotic spot. His hands moved up and down her body, only touching a few spots, mainly her sides and hips. This caused her to groan in frustration, especially when his hands just barely brushed her breasts. That groan went straight to the fire pooling in his groin, his hands instinctively moving to the edge of the garment she wore. In one smooth motion, he had removed it, letting it slide to the floor. He didn't touch her for a moment, just taking her body in. He let a few fingers trace the angry red scar from the arrow, as well as the pinkish one from where she was stabbed. She watched his movements, a light smile playing on her lips. This was one of the reasons she had fallen for him. His gentleness in all situations. When he looked up, she gave a nod and he dipped down, pressing his lips to the space just above her heart. Her fingers cascaded through his hair once at the motion before gripping the locks suddenly, his lips having brushed over her nipple. His hands smoothly ran up her sides to gently cup her breasts, making it easier for him to lick, suck and nibble the pink nub. He had her moaning within seconds, just light moans that showed how pleasant his ministrations were. In one easy motion, he had picked her up and flipped her over, laying atop her flushed form. He kissed her more fiercely and she complied, one hand wrapped up in his dark hair, the other now gripping his still clothed ass.

"Loki..get rid of those boxers, please.." Natasha murmurs, blue eyes becoming lust glazed. Loki chuckled as he looked up at her, having started to move back to her breasts.

"Thought we weren't talking?" She smacked him lightly with a pillow at that, though the smirk told him she was just amused. Within moments, he had his boxers off though, thrown somewhere across the room. In that time, Natasha had removed her thong as well and let that drop to the floor, now lying completely naked underneath him. She closed her eyes and let out a murmur of pleasure as he kissed downwards, between the swell of her breasts, above both of her scars, then down one thigh. She gave a groan of dissatisfaction when he completely missed her privates, her skin tingling where his kisses had landed. Another soft laugh left Loki's lips, even as he gently lifted one leg up and over his shoulder.

The next thing Natasha felt was his tongue, a gasp being wrenched from her lips when he circled her bud of a clit. She whimpered and gripped his hair much harder than before, causing a slight hiss to fall from Loki's lips. She let go with a whispered sorry, gripping the sheets instead as he kissed the inside of her thigh. Just as he kissed the skin there, she remembered a whisper, back when she was in the hospital. _You haven't seen what my silver tongue can do yet…_ Uh oh. He felt her muscles tense with a quick realization, just as she felt the intrusion of his tongue in her body. She gasped and arched, gripping the sheets even harder. She could just barely feel his hands running up her other thigh, shifting her other leg onto his shoulder. Pressing a kiss to her lips just as he would do to her top set, he sucked lightly and pressed his tongue in harder, thrusting in and out, a mimic of what was to come. She bucked and writhed beneath him, his hands keeping her hips down. She let louder moans slip free, eyes clenched shut as she tried to hold back that inevitable climax.

Just when she thought it would be too much though, that he would push her over that brink, he stopped. Panting, she cracked her eyes open and looked at his smirking features and she could practically hear him saying I told you so. Just as she was about to protest, to curse him for stopping, he moved. Nestling right between her legs, he angled himself before pushing in with a soft groan. She groaned herself, arching her back sharply before sighing in pleasure as he sank to the hilt. He wrapped an arm around her waist gently, kissing her deeply as he started to gently thrust. She grabbed his shoulders as her legs wrapped tight around his hips, pushing up to meet him. Her moans reverberated around the room, mixed with Loki's own gasps of pleasure. Despite how rough he could be in other aspects, such as fighting, when it came to making love, he was the gentlest. After awhile of his gentle pace though, Natasha craved more, a rougher, faster pace. In one easy motion, used so many times in battle, she gripped his hips and rolled them over, sitting up with a smirk. His shocked eyes turned happily surprised before narrowing in pleasure as she started to move. His hips bucked upwards and she moaned, leaning forward and back slightly with her movements, the rocking momentum causing him to go deeper, as well as harder. Leaning forward a bit farther, she cried out in ecstasy as he hit that special spot within her, biting her lip with a groan. Loki, seeing her reaction, shifted his angle so when he thrusted upwards, he hit that spot each time. She cried out each time before clenching tight, lips parted as she climaxed. Loki groaned and rolled them both over again, watching her relax beneath him, even as his own climax came and he groaned loudly. Once it passed, he rested his head on her shoulder, panting softly, feeling the rise and fall of her breasts against his chest. After a moment, he felt her hand stroking his hair, free arm wrapped around his shoulders. Shifting slowly, he pulled out and layed there in her arms, head resting on her breasts as he had done so many times before just to listen to her heart beat. This time though, it was just to keep the intimacy of the moment. Still in that embrace, they both drifted off into a pleasant sleep, barely moving through out the night. Unknown to Loki though, it had been the perfect night to Natasha..


	8. Say What Now?

When Natasha woke the next morning, the first thing she felt was slender fingers tracing patterns on her back and shoulders. She sighed softly and rolled over onto her stomach a bit more, a gentle chuckle leaving the lips of the man above her. She felt him shift before his hands came back, this time massaging her shoulders, causing her to relax completely. A murmured thanks left her lips before she felt his own lips on her neck, a smile pulling her lips upwards. She rolled onto her back fully, looking up into those large green eyes of his, tracing the contours of his face with her fingertips. He smiled softly and leaned towards her fingers, curling her hand to cup his cheek, even as his own hand was placed over hers. Had anybody been in the room at the moment, they might have said that moment shared between the two was the pinnacle of their relationship. The love and trust that was there between them, positively making their eyes sparkle, was palpable. Had it been any stronger, you could have visibly seen it. Just as he started to lower his lips to hers though, that dreaded knock sounded on the door. Natasha groaned and thumped her head back on the pillow, growling with frustration.

"Stay here love." She whispered, giving him a quick peck on the lips before climbing out of bed, pulling on her long black fluffy robe. He sighed and watched her, giving a wolf whistle as she changed. With a roll of her eyes, she left the room, closing the door behind her. She gave her hand a quick run through with her fingers before opening the door, frowning when she saw Clint there. He smiled a bit before realizing she was wearing her robe, something she only did after being with someone intimately. He had seen the action many times before.

Gritting his teeth for a moment, he took a deep breath before finally speaking. "Thor wants to see you. Tony got drunk and, well, he let a few things slip. We calmed him down enough that he wouldn't barge in here, and it looks like a good thing to." He clenched his hands into fists and Natasha just rolled her eyes.

"I will be up in a moment, I just need to get dressed and…other things." Clints eyes flashed with something akin to anger mixed with pain, but before he could say a single word, the door was closed in his face. There would be a sharp thud, possibly a punch on Clints part before his footsteps faded away. Natasha rubbed her temples, feeling the beginning of that familiar headache he always managed to create. Needless to say, Natasha first got two advil and popped them before going back to Loki, sighing heavily.

"Natasha? What's wrong?" Loki was instantly sitting up right, still in bed, brows furrowed together in worry. She shook her head and walked over, kissing him fully on the lips, though pulling away after a moment. That kiss left them both breathless, despite how minor it had been.

"Nothing really, so long as Thor doesn't barge in here." When he looked confused, Natasha ran a hand through her hair. "Tony got drunk with Thor last night and accidentally let slip that you were here and that we are together. I don't know what to expect, so just thought I would give you that kiss. Just in case." She didn't think he would try and hurt her, but she knew how protective he was of his brother. It was a bit intimidating.

"If he hurts you in any way.." The anger that flashed in his eyes caused a slight shiver to go down her spine, reminded of that time back on the helicarrier. Loki must have realized what happened and he pulled her close, kissing the top of her head and rubbing her shoulders. "I'm sorry, that wasn't nice of me…" She couldn't help but smile, resting in his arms for that moment.

"It's ok, you didn't mean anything towards me.. Now, I need to get changed and go see Thor before he really does come down here himself." She had learned not to call Thor his brother unless she wanted him to go into an emotional rant about how they weren't brothers and other related things. He gives a slight nod before releasing her, leaning back on the pillows as she goes to the closet, pulling out one of her suits. As she shed the robe and started to pull on undergarments, she heard a hum of approval, looking over her shoulder to see a grinning Loki. "Now don't you be getting any ideas right now. You know I need to-" She would cut off with a gasp, a pair of slender hands having curled around her from behind and taken her breasts in hand. Loki's grin widened as she groaned and let her head slump back on the duplicate behind her, the duplicate continuing to manipulate the soft flesh of her breasts. With a major effort, she finally smacked the hands away, just as the duplicate disappeared.

"Damn it Loki! Now I have to face Thor all hot and bothered! Clint will probably be there as well!'' She growled and grabbed her suit, yanking it on, ignoring Loki's amused laughter.

"Might want to try and cool your cheeks down love." Natasha growled again and stalked into the bathroom, listening to his laugh reverberate around the room. She brushed her teeth and combed her hair before applying a cool cloth to her cheeks, sighing softly at the pleasant sensation. Once finished, she walked out and back over to her smirking lover. "Behave yourself while I'm gone, got it?"

"Now don't I always?" She gave him a pointed look and he sighed softly. "Fine, fine. I promise I will behave." With a smile and a nod, she gave him one last kiss before ducking out the door. After locking it, something she hadn't done in a while, she went straight for the elevators. She wasn't in a hurry so why not skip the stairs today?

Just as she stepped out of the elevator, the very second she did, she was lifted off the ground and squeezed tight, a startled yelp leaving her lips. She struggled and tried to push at Thor's chest, as well as figure out who was laughing behind him. Probably Tony.

"Lady Natasha! How do you fare? Loki is not giving you any trouble is he? He has not attacked anyone?" He finally put her down, and after a well needed breath as well as a glare at an amused Tony, as well as Clint, and a confused looking Banner, she managed to reply.

"I am fine, great actually. Loki is great as well, we are getting along fine and no, he has not attacked anyone. Well, technically not. Did the others not tell you, um, how we are connected?

"No! The man of iron and eye of hawk refused to tell me why you two were hiding away from them! They also refused to let me come see you after I was told. Shall you be the one to tell me why this is?" Another glare was sent to the once again laughing idiots before looking back at Thor.

"You see, Thor, we did not intend for this to happen. He came to me to give warning about the attack from Muspelheim but things accidentally moved on from partners.." Thor just looked happy, if not a bit confused, so Natasha continued. "After the attack, and my little incident, some feelings came to the surface we didn't know were there. We are no longer partners, nor friends. We are lovers, a couple." There was a sputtered cough of surprise, possibly from Banner who had been drinking coffee, as well as a few noises of disgust. Those she guessed were from Clint. Thor on the otherhand, could have probably never looked happier.

"This is cause for celebration! My brother has finally found himself a maiden for which he can marry!" That caused a bit more than one shocked sputter, practically everybody except Tony gaping at Thor. Including Natasha.

"S-sorry? Thor, we have barely been together a month.." She was still shocked by the presumption, but now Thor looked even more shocked.

"You have not wed yet? Even after so long! Why, the ceremony must be performed immediately! Man of iron, call forward your workers to have everything set up!" Tony actually seemed to amused and looked close to actually making the call, but that was when Natasha interjected.

"Thor! We aren't getting married, you don't do that on Earth! Most people are together years, or at least 6-8 months! You don't just get married after a month of being around each other!" Bruce looked like he had well reached his limit of shocks for that day and Clint looked like he wanted to shoot something. Mainly Thor.

"Preposterous! I must speak to my brother at once! Lead me to him, Lady Natasha." _Oh I'm so going to regret this.._ Natasha thought before nodding and calling the elevator. She wasn't going to convince him otherwise, as it seemed the males did all the decisions on Asgard. They piled in the elevator, Clint and Tony joining as well, though Banner decided to stay there. They went straight down and within moments, were outside her door. Unlocking it, she lead them inside, looking around before holding up a finger and slipping into the bedroom. Loki looked up curiously from his book, pleased to see her but a bit hesitant about the voices in the other room.

"Um, Thor wants to talk to you about something.. And if you say of course to his proposal, I swear to god, you will not feel your face for the next week." He raises a brow before climbing out of bed, dressing in an instant thanks to his magic.

"I'm sure whatever it is should not be such a concern. Do not worry." He kissed her hand, causing a gentle blush to come on her cheeks, before leading her back to the living room, hand in hand. Tony was sprawled on the sofa with Clint, Thor standing near the kitchen and looking at her radio curiously. Once they exited though, he jumped up instantly, grinning broadly.

"Brother!" In an instant, Thor had Loki pinned to his chest this time, a satisfied smirk on Natasha's lips. Loki disappeared from his grasp, appearing back beside Natasha. Thor was only confused for a moment, shrugging it off afterwards. "You should not have snuck out of Asgard."

"I had good reasons for doing so. Anyways, let us not talk about that now. What is it you wish to ask of me, and why did it call for such urgency?" Thor sighed, as if he were wondering if everyone had gone crazy.

"Your wedding of course! Brother, have you not forgotten? One you have found the maiden you love, you are to marry her! You are quite overdue for your courting." Loki blinked before raising a thin brow, glancing to Natasha who was biting her lip nervously, then back to his brother who just looked expectant.

"I did not forget brother, I just assumed that Natasha did not wish to get married after a week, especially to someone she did not trust fully. Things have changed though.." Natasha looked more shocked than anything, but it was slowly boiling away to rising anger. She had told him back in the bedroom, what was he-Oh. Just as she had been preparing to berate him, he had suddenly dropped to one knee, pulling a small box from his clothes. "About a week ago, I left the apartment while you were working on some things. I realize I did what you wished for me not to, and I apologize, but it was to do some research, as well as pick this up. I found out your people's customs for marriages and courting, as well as how the men seemed to propose to their ladies. After this, I decided I would make the proposition to you, hold off if I must. Last night was supposed to be the night, but thanks to some particular events," Natasha blushed at that, though nobody seemed to notice. "I was unable to. Thanks to this brute here though, it seems I am going to anyways. Natasha, will you marry me?" There was a slight scuffle near the couch, Clint having rose in fury and Tony having pinned him down, face first. Not that the two would have noticed, so caught up in that moment as they were. He opened the box to show a beautiful rose gold band holding a levitating diamond of all things. After a quick check she confirmed it to be levitating, right between the two edges of the band. The diamond threw off rainbows, and she realized it was encased in a thin layer of ice. He looked at her expectantly, becoming a bit unsure as the silence increased. Finally, after what seemed like a millennium… She answered.


	9. There is a new side to this war

"No, I'm..I'm sorry, Loki…" Natasha finally whispered, a few tears trailing down her cheeks. "I trust you but…I just can't.." She turned away and ran out the door, Loki staring after her sadly, Thor no longer grinning and Tony gaping like a fish. Natasha didn't know where she was going, what she was doing. All she knew was that she had to get away for a while, try and think things through, for as long as possible. Once outside, she slowed down to a walk, heading down the sidewalk with her head hanging a bit. God, this was complicated..

Back in the flat, there was an awkward silence. Loki had knelt there for a few more moments before finally pocketing the ring and slowly standing. Thor tried to move forward, possibly to comfort him, but he was met by an invisible wall of energy. He shook his head and went into the bedroom, slowly closing the door, as if it were the door to his happiness, only to be opened again once Natasha had returned. Tony and Clint were sitting on the couch, Stark seeming a bit depressed for once, though Clint seemed quite happy. When Thor saw this however, it was only moments before a crack filled the air as well as a moan of pain. Clint and Tony left, Clint holding a tissue to his broken and bleeding nose, but Thor stayed, ready to comfort his brother if needed.

Hours passed as Natasha walked, just walked, going anywhere and everywhere around the city. When she finally decided it would be good to head back, that was when trouble started. Being distracted, she hadn't realized the brutes following her, though she really noticed when she was pulled into an alley way. She prepared herself to fight, though that stuttered when she saw the yellow and red skin, the unnatural height and bright red eyes. Muspelheim guards. She tried to scream, but before she could, a fist collided with her cheek, knocking her out cold.

More hours passed, and Natasha didn't come home. Loki had felt the slight pain on his cheek early on but in his depressed state, he ignored it, not recognizing what it meant. Though, when the clock went past 6 p.m. and she had been gone for almost 9 hours, he came out of the room, looking around with confusion. She never stayed out late, even after frustrating fights or new emotional break throughs. He was getting really worried. Even Thor seemed confused about her whereabouts. Finally, when it got to 8 p.m.,he got dressed and stormed upstairs, not caring who saw him. Once the elevator got to Starks floor, he strode out and right to Tony who looked surprised, almost wary.

"You must put on your suit and go out and find her, she should have not been gone this long." Tony looked like he was about to argue but he held his tongue when Loki changed to his Jotun form, red eyes flaring dangerously. "Do it! I shall not allow her to be out there, alone, in some unknown place!" The hastiness with how Tony moved next would have been funny, were it a happier situation in which he did it. Loki watched as he took off from outside before going back to the room and telling Thor to do the same. He just nodded and left, not asking a single question. He had never seen his brother this distressed and it was worrying. Soon the entire team was out in the city, including Loki, looking everywhere but not finding a trace.

Days passed, and not just Loki was frantic now. SHIELD had cameras all over the city searching for her, guards going to her home to look for any clues as to the place she would go, places she had recently been. No trace of her.

Days turned to weeks, and weeks to months. People were at a loss, starting to wonder if perhaps, something else had happened. Loki didn't think so, he had felt no pain or fear, and he was sure she had been wearing the security pendant that day. That changed though, during a meeting one day, around 5 weeks after her leaving, or disappearance as people called it. They had been having their weekly meeting to try and brainstorm new ideas, where she could have gone, what might have happened. It had only been about halfway through the meeting when Loki moaned and dropped from his chair, curling in on himself. His face was stricken with pain and was soon left panting. A cry left his lips next, gripping his ribs tightly before looking up at the others with wild terror.

"She's alive, but I don't think she is safe. We need to find her! Whoever they are, they aren't being great hosts, and I fear for her life." He managed to get his words out before crying out again, the pain overwhelming his senses and making him collapse forward, unconscious. The team just stared before Thor ran forward and pulled his brother into his arms.

"My brother has given her a protection amulet! Everything that she feels he shall feel, if she is in danger…." That finally got them into motion, if not panicking them slightly. Natasha was not a girl to be taken lightly, and if she was captured, being harmed in the process… Well, it just put many people on edge.

It had been a very long time since anyone had seen Natasha, even bordering on half a year. Efforts to find and retrieve her had dwindled down to practically nothing, though a search of the worlds cameras took place each month. Loki, in the meantime, had to be hospitalized. It seemed that, though she was still alive, it was just barely. This had taken a toll on his body, as well as his senses, causing him to be in pain most of the time.

A few more months passed, and Loki started to get better, though this worried him greatly. The pain and weariness had assured him of Natasha's survival, the emptiness is what scared him now. It wouldn't for long though, and everyone would realize it. Nobody would realize it of course, the day was nice, people were out and enjoying it, though when a rumbling disturbed the earth, people raced for buildings. The team piled outside on the balcony in confusion, looking around for the commotion, and what they saw made their hearts stopped. The outskirts of New York was a sea of red and yellow, loud bellows of war and destruction being called out. The army from Muspelheim. Nobody knew how, what they used to get there. All they knew was this was not exactly something they were prepared for, especially not Loki, for his gaze had settled upon something, no someone, on their leaders shoulder.

"Stark, you better get your suit on. The rest of the team as well. Do not attack the leader though. I think I figured out where Natasha got to, and it is really not good." Were Loki to be closer, he would be able to put more force behind that statement. She still looked the same of course, still had that same stance and everything, but she was different, completely different. At the moment she was dressed in the same armour as the Muspelheim guards, though it had been downsized to fit her smaller state. Her hair flowed free and straight down her back from under a golden helmet, her usual blue eyes blazing red. Corrupted. It was if Loki had tried to take over once again, though as a different species, corrupting and taking over peoples minds. Controlling them to do their deeds. Had Natasha been in her right mind, she was sure to be disgusted with herself.

The team was finally ushered onto a plane and taken on course towards the army. The closer they got, the more Loki's heart broke at the sight. He had always seen farther than most and in this moment, he really wish he didn't. To know Natasha was against him, fighting on the other side again, despite the mind control, it was terrible. Everyone could tell, especially Thor. They didn't have time to comfort him though, the door in back opening as everyone dove out, right into the midst of battle and bloodshed.


	10. What Is This Madness We Seek

Loki had sworn to never hurt Natasha, never on any circumstance. It seemed that the war had to change that though, for were he to consider every aspect, this was not Natasha. Even as he was thrown across the ground by her blow to his chest, her laughter rolling over him in waves, he just couldn't find it in him to hurt her. Not Natasha.

The war had started hours ago, the Avengers and a large team of agents coming in to help. There was blood, roaring from the opposing army, as well as screams of the dying. The Muspelheim army had taken it upon themselves to draw out how they killed their victims, slowly, painfully. It seemed the team had been divided into sections by now, despite missing their one team member. Tony and Clint were working together, Steve and Bruce were working by themselves, and Loki and Thor fought side by side as they once did, many years ago. The time they parted though, when Loki was thrown across a bare patch by an unknown enemy, he knew this wouldn't be good.

When he stood next, turning to face Natasha, cape fluttering in the wind as the battle raged on behind them, he couldn't help the pain that filled his chest. Her face was a mask of evil, something that had not been there before, at any time. There was blood trickling down her face and there were healing wounds beneath her armour that he could sense. "Natasha….What did they do to you?" He whispers, lowering into a defensive crouch just in case.

She didn't answer, or perhaps she did, but it was masked by her sudden movement. When they corrupted her mind they trained her with new forms of fighting, how she could increase her speed and moves. They were impressed, as she managed to bring down their best warrior with out breaking a sweat. Loki soon noticed this, as he had trained with her and fought with her.

"Natasha, please! Try and get through the cloud in your mind! Remember who I am!" He yelled at her, jumping to his feet and wiping blood away from his face as she had just managed to clock him right in the nose, causing a large break. His wounds greatly outnumbered Tasha's, but hers were much worse. He had a few stab wounds, very shallow though, a few broken ribs as well as a twisted ankle. Not to mention the bruises. Natasha had only a few injuries, despite the severity. She had head trauma, mainly the blood running down her face, and what was looking to be a broken arm possibly. They were injuries sustained before Loki and Natasha found each other in the battle, as he could not bring himself to lay a finger on her.

"You are a fool, Loki Laufeyson, to ever think we could be together!" There was an edge to her voice, something that just made it not quite right.. "I remember you fine, all those things we did together. Disgusting! I hope I can get those filthy memories out of my mind once you are disposed of!" Loki winced at her words, knowing they were only part of the warriors scheme, but it hurt nonetheless.

"That isn't you Natasha! It is the evil clouding your mind and judgement! I would know, it has happened to me before!" That caused her to stutter slightly, the red flickering before coming back blazing. Now she was pissed.

"You did not recognize the true power you wielded and therefore could not control it! I am the strongest I have ever been and it is time to end this! I shall not be laden down by some whimpering pup of a mate!" Ok, this was out of hand. Loki couldn't even believe the words coming out of her mouth now, and he had had enough. He charged her, a duplicate appearing behind her to trip her up. When they collided, they both fell to the earth with a harsh thud, his hands easily pinning hers. He had always been stronger, it was just a matter of getting a hold of her actual limbs. There was a moment of silence between the two of them, green eyes gazing into blazing red, the bold colour flickering slightly at the close range. Perhaps there was a way to bring her back without hurting her… In one split second movement, their lips collided, a pair of desperate ones against resisting ones. After a moment he felt those lips soften though, becoming more urgent against his as she tried to pull away from his hands holding her wrists down. Just as he was about to open his eyes to see if she was back, he cried out, being pulled away from her and a spear shoved through his chest. He glanced down in shock before his green eyes slowly lifted to meet clear blue ones…

Little did Loki know, Natasha had been fighting against herself this entire time, and when the kiss came, she took the chance. That kiss had done something to the corrupting cloud in her mind, which came to be by drinking some weird liquid, and it had disbanded. Just as she came to, she heard his cry and shot up, reaching out with a frightened expression. "Loki! No!" The soldier tossed Loki to the ground, his hands curling around the wound with a light whimper of pain. The battle was short, and the guard was soon dead. Instead of going to Loki, she ran across the grounds to where Tony was dispatching a soldier. He turned his guns on her but she waved her hands, face stricken with pain. "Tony! Please, help Loki! He…he's hurt really badly! Please!" He gave a sharp nod and within moments they were back by his side. The first thing she noticed was his shallow breathing, the next was the amount of blood he lost. Before she could do anything, Loki was gone in the arms of Stark, leaving her there to weep and try to be positive. Her eyes caught a rise in the dirt, a slight sparkle, and as her curiosity got the best of her she reached forward, picking the object up. It was the wedding ring he had proposed to her with, but now instead of a clear diamond, it had a swirl of red spiraling up from the bottom and branching out at the top. Almost like what he said the bifrost looked like encased in ice. With a slight sob, she slipped the perfectly sized ring on to her finger, watching the light dance on it.

After a few minutes of getting herself together, she picked up her weapon and strode forward back into the raging battle to help pick off some of her captors and teachers. Nobody shed more blood that day than Natasha Romanoff, though there was no human blood mixed with it. When the team was standing in the middle of the bloodshed, their enemies all torn down around them, only then did they notice Loki and Tony were missing. Of course, Thor was the first to notice Natasha and so he was the one who strode over and gripped her shoulders gently.

"Lady Natasha, what has happened…?" He didn't notice the ring luckily, so she just sighed and shook her head.

"Loki managed to wake me, but not before he could defend himself from another soldier. I retrieved Tony from the fight and he took Loki away to a hospital. I don't…I don't know what is going to happen to him…" A few tears trickle out of her eyes before she was enveloped in a hug by Thor, despite her protests. She wasn't a hug person and there wouldn't be an exception made now. After a moment though, he swooped her up in his arms, lifting his hammer.

"We shall meet you at the healers where my brother is being kept. Do not waste time." He says to Bruce, who had changed back by now, Steve and Clint. They nod and within moments they were off, Natasha's startled scream lingering in the air.

When Steve, Bruce and Clint arrived at the hospital, they immedietaly demanded the room number. The nurse showed them of course and they walked quickly down the hall before bustling into the room. The first thing they heard was a shushing noise, Thor standing protectively in the corner and glaring at his noisy teammates. Tony would be passed out in a chair in the far corner of the room, snoring the lightly, and other for that it would only be the sound of machines beeping in the room. It wasn't hard to spy Natasha though, as her armour sort of stood out. She was seated in a chair near Thor, right beside Loki's bed. She had her head on her arms, obviously asleep, one hand under her head while the other gently gripped Loki's pale one.

Even if the team hadn't known Loki, not seen him before or even heard of him, they would have been able to tell he was sick. His breathing was shallow and fast, as if in extreme pain, or as if his body was working over time to provide something. There were bandages circling his entire body it seemed, from his armpits down to his abdomen. The wound must have been severe, as they had many different things hooked up to him. When Natasha first walked in, she practically burst Tony's eardrums with her scream, then he had to console her through the ringing in his ears, though her sobs were loud enough to be heard anyways. Now though, after Thor, despite being the giant he is, got them settled in a quiet fashion, they were all either playing on their phones, asleep or gone to get food or other minor injuries looked after. The fight wasn't easy and they all needed some care in one way or another. Even Tony, but nobody dared to wake him.

After a few hours, Natasha woke to see everyone in the room, though they all seemed to be asleep. She scanned everyone before looking up and almost careening back with shock to see Loki's eyes open. His eyes brightened and he parted his lips to say something, though a finger against his lips shushed him. Natasha shook her head with a smile before flashing him the ring. He quirked an eyebrow and she gave a slight nod, kissing her fingers before touching his cheek. He leaned a tiny bit toward her hand with a smile, green eyes bright with happiness. After staring into each others eyes for a while, they both fell back to sleep, each smiling happily.

(This is not the end! I have a fair few more chapters, don't worry.)


	11. The Way We Love

When Natasha woke again, the first thing she felt was a hand gently stroking her hair, long fingers quite gentle especially when they traced the wound on her forehead. She had gotten it stitched up before so now it was just a long line of stitches and scarring skin. After a moment, she let her eyes open, almost instantly looking up at Loki who was gazing forward in contemplation. Lifting her hand, she placed it on his arm, watching as a smile touched his lips lightly, even as his hand stilled.

"You know, I was scared that I wouldn't get you back after the war.." Loki whispered, green eyes now focused on her. They were calm and gentle, if not happy. After so many months, a moment like this was appreciated by the both of them.

"I was scared I wouldn't find my way back.." She whispered, hand moving down his arm to pull his hand down to the bed where she grasped it tightly. They just sort of stared into each others eyes for a moment, at least until Natasha sat up on the bed and leaned in to kiss his forehead. "I missed you, so much… I'm sorry I ran before. I was just scared…" He gave a slight nod, moving his hands to cup her face. He knew what she meant, who wouldn't, but he knew on a deeper level. One that so many people wished to know.

"I understand Natasha, you don't need to apologize. But perhaps, now that we are sort of alone, I could give it another try?" He smiles, despite the flicker of his eyes towards the other sleeping occupants in the room. Lifting her hand, he kisses the palm then the ring on her finger. "Natasha Romanoff, will you marry this fool of a god? I know he has had his stupid moments, but I think he has also had just as many good moments." A blush grew on her cheeks at that, blue eyes sparkling with unshed tears.

"You know, maybe my answer can be different this time…" She whispers, leaning into the hand on her cheek. "Of course I will, on one condition." He perked a brow at that, wondering what her little conditions would be for marriage. "You heal quickly. This hospital bed is very uncomfortable." That caused a grin to appear on his face, the same one he had when they finished joking around or had a silly moment.

Natasha grinned back, and a chuckle came from Stark's corner of the room, an amused smirk placed on his face. "You guys win the award for weirdest couple of the year, I swear to god." Both Loki and Natasha laughed, Loki's one arm encircling her waist and gently pulling her closer. No way was he letting her get far at this point in time.

Within an hour, the entire team was up and talking as well as eating breakfast. Loki was still healing so he mainly drank smoothies, but other than that, it could have been a day when they just hung out in one of the rooms. The chatter was slowly growing louder, the nurses throwing glances to the room in annoyance. It seemed that Tony had told them to allow the entire team to stay, despite how much they didn't want to. That chatter seemed to evaporate into thin air though when Director Fury stepped up to the door, looking grim as always. Everyone stared at him before shifting uneasily. Nobody had told him about Loki, but he seemed to know now..

"There is one thing I do not stand for, and that is lies. This, is a very big lie." Natasha winced slightly at his tone, glancing to Loki who, surprisingly, looked quite calm. He met the directors gaze easily, not even flinching. "Why is he still here? Thor should have taken him back by now, despite his injuries." Natasha started to talk but Loki touched her arm, shaking his head gently. Fury raised a brow at this, waiting for an answer. "Well?"

"I am afraid that I shall not be leaving anytime soon, director." When he looked about to argue, Loki raised a hand to cut him off. "I proposed to Natasha and she has accepted. We shall be wed at some point, perhaps in the coming months. With her permission of course." Natasha grinned and kissed his cheek, causing him to blush a bit. He still wasn't quite sure about public displays of affection, especially in front of so many people.

"You people are insane…" Fury mutters before leaving, mumbling things about not being happy if little demi-gods started running around. Most of the team laughed at this, though Clint was frowning heavily and Thor just looked confused.

"Little demi-gods? I do not understand what he was referring to!" Natasha blushed this time, hiding her face in Loki's neck. She was really not ready to talk about kids. They hadn't even been engaged for a day yet!

"Thor, you idiot, he was talking of children!" Tony made something like an exaggerated gagging noise while Thor grinned.

"Why, that is a wonderful idea! I would love to have a niece and nephew!" Natasha scowled slightly, shaking her head a bit. She did want a child of course, it was just so early. Loki saw this and smiled, rubbing her back gently.

"It will not be any time soon, I can promise you this. Perhaps a while after we are married we can think about it.." She nodded as he spoke, smiling gently. Yes, that did sound nice. There was a sudden slam, people practically jumping from their chairs as Clint slammed the door behind him.

Everyone was silent before Bruce stood up, moving to the door and leaving. He looked like he was going to talk to Clint, the sweetheart. Natasha sighed and rubbed her temples, feeling a headache growing. It had been a stressful day already, what with Fury and now Clint. Loki kissed her head and whispered right in her ear.

"Take a nap love, you need it. I can tell. I will shoo these guys out of here so you can get a peaceful sleep this time." Thor smiled at his brother and Natasha before leaving of his own accord. He knew the need for privacy well and he respected that. Tony left afterwards, giving a childish pat to Natasha's head before walking out. When Loki and Natasha were alone, they took that time to look up at eachother, just memorizing each others faces. Within moments they had locked their lips though, Loki's free arm around her waist and Natasha's arms around his neck. This didn't go on for long though, as Loki tried to move closer and ended up letting out an involuntary whimper of pain. Damn those stitches. Natasha sighed softly, pulling back with a gentle smile.

"We will have to put a raincheck on that love. Just until you are healed enough that you don't have anymore stitches. Sound good?"

"It does, despite how long that might take. Promise me light kisses each day and we have a deal." That mischievous glint was back in his eyes, causing Natasha to grin.

"Hmm, deal. And sealed with a kiss of course." She leaned forward and gave him a slow, gentle kiss before pulling back. She settled happily into his arms, a nurse coming in to give him another dose of pain medication as well as an advil to Tasha. Within minutes they were both asleep, dead to the world, cradled in eachothers arms.


	12. What is your problem?

Things were quite peaceful the next few weeks, other than the press trying to hound the team. Different members dropped by each day to visit Loki and Natasha, though Clint never really showed his face. The only time had been when Natasha left to go downstairs and get something to eat, perhaps something were Loki as well. On her way though, she was intercepted by a frowning Clint.

"Natasha, explain what you are doing right now. If you are doing undercover work or are on some sort of mission to learn things about Loki, I'm cool with that. I just can't stand seeing you kiss him anymore. And marriage? You have got to be kidding!" Natasha yanked her arm free from where he had grasped it in his desperation. She wasn't shocked by his accusations, but that didn't stop how hurtful they were.

"Clint, I'm not faking anything, nor undercover. I am in love with Loki. How dare you even think I would betray him! He is practically a part of the team now, from what I have heard, and despite your little boyish attitude towards it, he may actually be! Now get out of the way before I punch you." She ended her sentence with a dangerous undertone, blue eyes dancing with fury. Clint of course didn't noticed and he just placed his hands on her shoulders, eyes soft and worried.

"Natasha please… You can't be serious, you just can't. This is Loki we are talking about, the one who tried to destroy our world and kill us. He even got in your mind and played with it, in a way just like with mine! I just don't see how you can forget any of this, let alone marry that guy!" Natasha's fists were clenched tight by now, anger bubbling up to the brim.

"I happen to be very serious, Barton, and you do not know what happened between us. Now, I have not forgotten but I have forgiven him. He is a great man and he will be good for me. Unlike some people." She shot him a heavy glare that caused a bolt of pain to flash through his eyes. He actually looked like he was going to turn away, leave her be to go back to her fiancé, but of course, no such luck. In one quick, obviously easy motion, he had leaned down and kissed her. His hand was on the back of her neck, holding her there as he also wrapped his free arm around her shoulders. She struggled against him, hands pushing desperately at his shoulders and chest, a tear running down her cheek. Only after she bit his lip hard enough to draw blood did he pull away, blinking in surprise before lifting a hand to touch his bloody lip.

"Natasha…" He managed to get out before her fist collided with his nose. There was a sharp crack and a curse, his hands now cupping his face in pain, blood flowing down his cheek. Next, her foot collided with his diaphragm causing him to gasp for air, doubling over. Her elbow came down between his shoulder blades, making him drop flat to the ground in a very easy motion. One kick to his groin caused him to groan loudly and curl up like a child.

"You, Clint Barton, are an asshole. I can't believe I ever trusted you, even in a small way. Stay away from me unless you want something worse to happen." She turned on her heel and stalked away, rubbing her slightly bloodied knuckles. The punch to his face had actually cut her a bit, probably caught on his teeth. She smirked at the thought, walking into Loki's room just at that moment. He looked up from his magazine instinctively, green eyes flicking to her bloodied fist, the few tear tracks on her cheeks as well as bloodied lips.

"Natasha! Oh Helheim, what happened to you? Were you attacked by someone?" He was obviously worried, having even tried to sit up, though that was stopped pretty quickly as he was still in a lot of pain. She shook her head and went to the cupboards, pulling out some wound cleaner, as well as wetting a Kleenex. She applied the wound cleaner, eyes downcast. Could she tell him what had just transpired?

"Clint stopped me in the hall… I thought he was just talking to me, trying to convince me to leave you be and stupid things like that.." She said softly, wiping the blood off her hand and lip after a moment. "Promise not to get mad? I don't need you going after him, despite how angry I am still." Loki just watched her for a moment before nodding slowly. He hadn't seen her like this before and it was almost scary. They knew each other inside and out. She nodded as well before walking over and sitting in the chair, looking at the little cut on her hand, contemplating adding a bandage. "He, um, kissed me… I couldn't get him off until I bit his lip, that was why there was blood there. I broke his nose and then continued on to wail on him until he was on the ground. He won't try anything else I hope, but if he does, you can take him on.." She gave a slight smile, though stopped when she saw his angry gaze.

"So, he kissed you against your will, held you there even and didn't even apologize after? I don't care if you beat him up, he is dead as soon as I can stand up!" Natasha grimaced, moving her hand and placing it on his thigh.

"No, Loki, you can't. He won't do anything since it was me, but were you to lay a finger on him he would for sure get you taken back to Asgard. I just know it. Please don't do anything, I promise I took care of it." He still looked quite pissed off, but he had relaxed a bit. He wasn't going to put their lifestyle in danger just because of this little thing. Anyways, she had taken care of it.

"Ok..But only because you asked me to, not because I don't want to hurt him. Here, let me see your hand.." He took her hand gently in his, placing a kiss over the minor wound. She flinched a bit, but then looked on with awe as the wound seemed to seal itself, leaving nothing but a very thin, pink line.

"Loki… What in the world?" She asked, lifting her hand to look at the now perfectly smooth skin, no trace of even the scar now. He chuckled softly and patted her arm.

"I do know magic love, it was nothing. I would have done it for myself, but it is too large a wound. Perhaps later on I can, when the stitches are out." Natasha nodded in understanding, smiling gently before leaning forward and giving him a gentle kiss.

"You are the sweetest, Loki. Thank you." She gave him another kiss before snuggling up with him as usual. They had made it a habit to cuddle together, especially after something stressful happened, despite how small or large it might be. It mainly seemed to be caused by Clint or Tony though, as they had figured out. Only once had Bruce ever caused something, Steve was involved with that little incident, though Thor wasn't. Thor had taken it on himself to come by every day and make a visit, despite what was going on. He actually came after a little battle, bloodied and grinning. Basically, the nurses weren't happy and made a fuss over him. For more than that reason though. Natasha assumed they were just fussing over him to remove his armour and get to see him naked. Loki agreed.

It was barely 2 weeks later when the incident happened. Loki and Natasha were together, as always, cuddling on his bed. Natasha was reading a manual on her new gun she bought, while Loki was reading a text Thor brought from Asgard. One on magic and spells as well as the weird and wonderful. Just as Natasha was contemplating actually going to the shooting range to try out her new weapon, it happened. There was a loud crash and the wall which faced the outside world was blown in, causing Natasha to pull a startled Loki to the floor.


	13. You Are Beautiful To Me

Natasha only blacked out from a moment after colliding with the tiled floor, shaking off the darkness encroaching on her vision. She heard a groan and quickly checked on Loki. Other than a few bruises he seemed fine, no popped stitches or new cuts. She heard a bit of cursing, much too familiar cursing, and she cursed slightly. "Tony Stark, what the hell did you do?!''

"Uh, hey Nat! Sorry bout that, a bit of a fight going on. Why don't you stay and clean up?" He laughs and takes off again, Natasha cursing him. After a moment though, she got the bed straightened up and managed to drag Loki into it. God damn he was heavy. Two nurses come in and help get Loki, who was still unconscious, into a different room on the other side of the building. Once he was safe, Natasha took off, running outside to try and find out what was going on. Turns out that Thor and Tony had just been fooling around and they got a bit too wild, Thor having sent Tony flying into the building. Natasha sighed and walked back inside, rubbing her temples. This was headache worthy.

A few weeks later and Loki and Natasha were back in the flat, Loki's stitches having dissolved, leaving a slight scar along his chest. He was able to walk and do minimal things again, his magic starting to heal him more quickly. The both of them had finally started planning their wedding, getting little things down pat and everything. Natasha even had a beautiful dress picked out, despite her protests. It was barely a week to the wedding and Loki could see Natasha was becoming stressed out. Loki made a bit of a plan, and as soon as Natasha walked through the door that day, humming to herself, he jumped her. The lights had been off, just like that first time they kissed, the moon even lighting up the room in the same way. Natasha dropped her bag in surprise, gasping before grabbing Loki's arms as he let his hands rest on her neck, kissing her deeply. Seeing his intentions easily, Natasha placed her hands against his chest instead and shoved backwards, pushing him back to the couch, making him lie down so she could straddle him. A grin broke his handsome features, especially when her hands traced patterns up underneath his shirt. Natasha had been refusing to have sex since they came back from the hospital, insisting he was still in too much pain for it. Now though, all the emotions, sensations and eagerness just bubbled over, consuming them both in lust.

It wasn't long before Loki picked her up, letting her wrap her legs tight around his waist, before taking her to the bedroom, kicking the door shut. His lips captured hers again, tongue slipping in slowly before commencing a small war, saliva mixing and tongues sliding against each other. They both dropped to the bed, pulling at eachothers clothes, Loki's shirt the first to be tossed to some unknown location, Natasha's being the next piece, as well as her bra. There was no hesitation this time, no gentleness. It was all feelings, intensity and urges. Their lips broke, a murmur of annoyance leaving Natasha's lips before her back arched slightly, gasping as his tongue and lips started playing with her left nipple. She groaned and writhed softly, a few whimpers leaving her lips as he switched to the other nipple before kissing his way down her bare stomach. Next, Loki slipped his fingers in the sides of her pants, stripping them in one quick motion, her panties going as well, leaving her completely bare and open to him. She blushed and kept her hands at her side, refusing to cover herself up. She needed to be fully open. He backed off for only a moment, his own pants and boxers being shed, showing him to be almost fully hard. She bit her lip at the sight, hands gripping the bedsheets below her, even as her partner smirked. Within moments, he was a top her again, kisses becoming fiercer and less delicate, causing her to gasp again. Her own hands grabbed at his hips, lifting hers to grind their hips together. They both groaned when their sexes came in contact, not penetrating but just causing the barest of friction. Natasha easily flipped them over, sitting up as she straddles her lover, blue eyes shining lightly with the light from the moon which just peaked through the clouds outside. Loki decided he had never seen a more beautiful sight, her skin just as pale as his and her blue eyes a darker shade because of the lust twining through them both. Their eyes locked at that moment, just watching each other with practical adoration. Natasha moved her hand to Loki's entwining their fingers together, lifting them up to the light and kissing them. Loki smiled up at her before rolling them back over, entwining their other fingers so he had both her hands pinned to the matress, always maintaining that loving contact. Their hands only broke apart once, Loki's moving between them both to angle himself and push inside. They both moaned, becoming a single voice for a moment, until Loki started to thrust into her welcoming body. Their fingers twined together again, keeping a steady pace that caused a burn in both their bodies, craving release but also wanting to just keep this moment peaceful, unlike before. Finally, after what seemed like eternity to them both, an eternity which they really didn't mind, Natasha thrusted up hard, both of them gasping. That was the motion that caused their softness to break, allowing the fierceness between them to push forward. Loki bucked hard and fast into her willing body, Natasha's gentle moans escalating almost into screams of pleasure as her own body bucked up of its own accord. Minutes later, they both came, Loki groaning and Natasha crying out, back arched right off the bed. Loki slumped beside her, hands finally letting hers go and wrapping around her body. He pulled out and held her close, the both of them catching their breath. After a while of just cuddling, little kisses shared here and there, fingers caressing and touching, Natasha got up. She went to the washroom and turned the shower on, humming. She heard Loki walk up behind her, arms snaking around her slim waist, just beneath her breasts. They stood like that for a moment, the shower heating up before they both got in and just stood under the stream of water, gazing into each others eyes. After they finally broke eye contact, they grabbed soap and started rinsing each other down as if it were the most natural thing in the world, and perhaps it was.

"You know… I am actually really excited for the wedding. I never thought it would really be possible for me." She smiles softly up at him, Loki smiling back and rubbing her shoulders gently.

"You are a gorgeous woman Natasha, inside and out. I am sure you would have found someone, had we not gotten together as we have." That causes her to blush slightly, blue eyes lighting up.

"I am sure you would have to… But I'm glad we are together. I haven't felt this happy in so long. It's beautiful.." Loki nods and buries his face in her damp hair, smiling. Natasha laughs and places her hands on his chest, closing her eyes at the feeling. The smallest things were adorable, but some of them felt too good. Like his hands massaging her shoulders, or when he played with her hair as he loved to do when she was falling asleep. Speaking of falling asleep, Loki noticed how Natasha seemed to be slumping against him, breathing evening out. With a chuckle, he held her close and turned the water off, helping her now sleepy form out of the shower and get a towel wrapped around her body. She padded out into the bedroom as Loki got himself dried, listening to her hum as she dries off then climbs in the bed. After a moment he would join her, slipping under the covers and pulling her closely. She smiled and looked up at him, almost seeming to have a curious look about her now. He waited, knowing she would ask him something within a moment. She always did when she looked like that.

"Loki… Thor was telling me how you are from Jotunheim… He said this is a cover form. Could I, um.. Well, could I see your other form?" She almost instantly felt him tense as soon as the words left her lips, her muscles tensing a bit as well in response. She looked up at him, noting the way he stared anywhere other than her for the moment.

"I do not think you would wish to see it… It shows the monster I really am.." She shook her head gently, placing a hand on his cheek, waiting until he finally looked at her.

"Loki, you aren't a monster in any way. You don't have to show me, but I hope you trust me enough to.." She was just getting ready to lay down again, resigned to not being able to see him in his true form, when his hand was placed over hers.

"Promise not to be scared at all?" He whispers, the first note of uncertainty she had ever heard in his voice. She nods, kissing him gently before leaning back a comfortable distance. He closed his eyes, shaking slightly, almost as if he were scared. Slowly, the blue of his skin came through, crawling over his entire body, the blue raised lines appearing as well. When he opened his eyes again, Natasha had to keep from gasping, the red of his eyes shocking her slightly. All in all though, Natasha wasn't scared. Not at all.

"Loki.." She whispers, reaching up with a slightly shaky hand, placing it on his cheek again. "You are.." He flinches, waiting for the horrible words to come, as they always did. "Beautiful…" That causes him to raise a brow, nervousness faltering for a moment.

"Natasha, I think you got your words mixed up. This form is not beautiful it is…it is monstrous, disgusting.." She shakes her head sharply, frowning now as she places her other hand on his opposite cheek, making him look at her.

"No, it is not. This form is simply a skin, it does not change you. You are a beautiful person, therefore this form is beautiful as well, because you make it beautiful. Simple as that. If anyone ever tells you different, they just don't understand or don't know you." She could see the meaning her words took upon him as soon as she was finished, a tear trickling down his cheek. She sighed and pulled him into a tight hug, ignoring the chill from his skin. That didn't matter at that moment. He hugged her back tightly, a sigh leaving his own lips as he calms a bit. Knowing he could even trust her with this side of him was an incredible feeling.. It let him actually be really at peace. After a bit, she pulls back and kisses him gently, the contrast of the warmth from her lips and the coolness of his lips causing them both to shiver. That was the last intimate moment they shared that night, both of them falling asleep in eachothers arms, Natasha cuddled up to her frost giant, blankets pulled tight around them both.


	14. Is This Perfection?

"Pepper, I think for once, I am actually nervous." Natasha whispered, wincing a bit at the tug of her hair. Pepper laughed softly, letting the flat iron slide down her red hair, causing it to go into very gentle waves instead of her usual curls.

"Well, I think that is pretty natural 'Tasha. Many brides get nervous on the big day, spies are no exception. I mean, this is a very big step, especially for you. I'm sure Loki is just as nervous as you are." Natasha hisses at the poke from a hair pin, never having been one for doing her hair in fancy ways. Therefore, this was pretty new to her. She sighed and rested her chin in her hand, leaning against the arm of her chair. They had started getting ready at about 9 a.m. and it was now 11. Talk about boring. They hadn't even started on make-up for gods sake. The time spent so far was mainly used for hair and ironing out little details.

"I doubt Loki would be nervous, he rarely is…."

On the other side of the building which they had rented for their wedding, that little statement would have been put to shame by the practically cowering god. Tony couldn't help but be amused as Loki paced back and forth, being stopped now and then for Tony to fix his hair in some way or another.

"Stark, are you sure that Natasha will show up? Or that this is the right thing? It just seems so complicated." Tony just chuckled and added a rose to Loki's suit, making sure it was practically perfect.

"I am sure she will be there. You know Natasha is not one to desert people, unless they really piss her off. And this is probably the best decision of your life. Well, from what I have heard about it." Loki rolled his eyes and gave him an almost playful shove.

"I shall trust you at this moment, if anything to give myself some peace of mind." Loki says softly, walking out with Tony. They both went up to the alter, Loki standing in the designated spot and Tony taking his place beside Thor and Bruce.

It was a few minutes later when the music started. Loki took deep breaths to calm himself, watching as Natasha's bridesmaids walked down the aisle, including Pepper and Jane, as they had become quite close. Finally, Natasha stepped out and started down the aisle. There were murmurs of praise and surprise, all eyes trained on her. Her dress flowed down to the floor and out behind her like a cala lily, the boddess tight from top to her hips before flaring out gently. The white creamy silk of her dress ended in a sweetheart neckline, black lace coming up from there, cirling her neck and going down her arms in see through sleeves. The black bow around her waist trailed down behind her, the tails resting perfectly on the train and creating a lovely contrast. Her red curls were piled up in a messy up-do, something that was uniquely her. Her make-up made the blue of her eyes bright and beautiful, light pink lipstick causing the peaches and cream skin tone of hers to really pop. To top it off was her bouquet of black, red and white roses, some green grass thrown in with them. Loki could only think of one word. Breathtaking.

Finally, the music ended as Natasha settled by Loki's side, looking up at him nervously. He smiled and took her hands in his gently, stroking the backs as the priest started the vows. Soon, it was time for them both to say I do.

"Do you, Loki Laufeyson, take Natasha Romanoff to be your lawfully wedded wife?" Loki heard the priest say and grinned, causing Natasha to giggle in spite of herself.

"I do, of course I do." He grinned even wider and caused Natasha to blush.

"Natasha Romanoff, do you take Loki Laufeyson to be your lawfully wedded husband?" Natasha was practically crying by now, even as she nods.

"Y-yes…I do." She whispers. The priest declares them husband and wife, and that Loki may now kiss his bride. Stepping close, he gently cups her face before kissing her. She flings her arms, bouquet and all, around his neck, pulling him closer and deeper into the kiss. Finally they break away to the cheers and whistles of their friends, as well as the small groups of their families. Still in each others arms, they look to everyone, grinning broadly, now a proud wedded couple. An hour later and the entire wedding group would be in the main room, talking and letting the music company get everything set up. It seemed as if Loki and Natasha were inseparable at that point, always touching or embracing in some way. Even when they were pulled away by people, they were locked together by their hands, keeping that special connection. Finally, they were dragged out onto the floor, laughing and grinning. The musicians started playing just as Natasha and Loki took their positions, starting their first dance together. Slow and gentle, just as they had been when they were first together. As they danced, they became absorbed in each other, deeper and more passionately than ever before. It was the type of love, that were you to witness it, you may mistake it for adoration. Pure adoration but not love. To the people who shared it though, it was one of the simplest, yet most complicated things in the world. True love.

The night continued on, filled with dancing, champagne and of course, the cake cutting and bouquet throwing. The bouquet throw was for sure one of the funnier parts of the evening…

"Are you ready?" Natasha shouted, laughing with all her other girlfriends who were crowded around. She turned around and tossed the bouquet, the roses landing right in a startled Jane's hands. She looked up at a laughing Natasha, letting out a startled yelp when Thor sweeped her off her feet and kissed her.

"What a momentous occasion! We must sort out our own coronation now!" Jane looked shock as he practically carried her out, leaving many of the avengers dying from laughter. When Natasha started to look through the crowd for Loki, he came forward, awkwardly bringing a chair. She looked at him curiously as he winked, pulling her close and whispering in her ear. Her cheeks flared red, much to the enjoyment of Tony and the others. He helped her take a seat before kneeling and slowly slipping her dress up high enough to reach her garter. She started giggling and covered her eyes, feeling the movements as he slowly pulled the garter off of her limb with his teeth. Moments later, He shot the garter into the crowd….Right into Tony's face. He went beet red, especially when he saw Pepper's smirk and coy wink. It wasn't long before the two of them were gone as well.

Soon, the bride and groom were on their way out, climbing into the limo courtesy of the deserted Tony. As they drove away, the cheers and whistles of their friends and family died away into silence and darkness only permeated by a light blue glow from the lighting near their feet.

"Um, Natasha, where are we going?" Loki asks softly, not wanting to disturb the beautiful silence too much.

"I don't know… Tony said the honeymoon was on him as a wedding gift so he picked the place… All I know is we are on our way to the airport." He nods before pulling her close and kissing her again, smiling.

"That's ok with me, so long as we are together.." And with that, they were off on the dark highway, heading into their own little piece of paradise.

(Once again, this isn't done! I still have many chapters)


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